The Horrors - Gloves (Loog Records)
2/5
By: Alex Lee Thomson
Ah, where would we be without The Horrors?... well, erm, probably right about where we are now. That they're something of a one trick pony is a criticism they'd probably see the point in, but the problem is that we've already heard their trick - you surely remember pasting yourself around to their last single - and this one is almost identical... except it's not got anything close to a catch.
The Horrors are great at one thing, and that's creating none-hook hooks that aren't really there but draw you in anyway. Although their song is harder to get into than a fresh pack of ASDA bacon, they are by some means endearing. Random, bleak, starchy and Tim Burton-like, their sound is mystifying to the most practised (we want to say...) punk fan out there and it's the randomness and baron quality of their songs that's probably their biggest asset. Think of Art Brut wired on crystal meth and left to form music from the loose ends of an 18th century French poetry book that's been set on fire... and you've got the basic structure for one of the most intriguing bands around.
Slightly ruined by sordid over-hype and unreasonably short gigs, they're still quite an extreme occurrence despite already passing beyond most people's radars as a novelty band. It's too early to tell if these boys, or men, or Goths... or, whatever... will live beyond their novelty personas and find a sober and structured future surpassing the tag of a scary dark-Darkness regeneration. Horrors for Eurovision or Download Festival in 2009?... as long as the rest of their material is better than this, hopefully the latter.
They've got an image that defecates on the decomposing bones of Towers Of London, and it might be enough to keep the oomph and animation surrounding the band. They're distinctive, will give 'em that, and although 'Gloves' is a bit offhand, it'll keep you thinking 'HUH?' for a few minutes, and is worth giving a listen to if only to see what all the fuss is about.
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