Since the late 1950s, psychotic garage/rockabilly has (re)emerged in many forms, from straightforward zombie rock n’ roll to dirty electro-sex/death inspirations (Lolita Storm, anyone?). While many have a kitsch, gothic horror humour, The Horrors’ attitude seems a little more serious, with less glint in their nonetheless murderous eyes. 

Co-produced by Jim Sclavunos of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, the Hammond organ-laced, bass-heavy sound owes a debt amongst others to The Stranglers, The Clash, Iggy Pop, The Fall, The ‘Seeds, and Screaming Lord Sutch, whose classic ‘Jack the Ripper’ opens the album.

Throughout, Faris Badwan’s growling howl is like a fox on a silent, bright-eyed mission for fresh meat. Excellent singles ‘Sheena is a Parasite’, ‘Count in Fives’ and ‘Gloves’ are powerful slices of aggression, with ‘Sheena’ coming it at a perfect 1 minute 41 seconds. The album boasts a number of tracks just as exciting and catchy as these. Fast, spoken-word ‘Excellent Choice’ pummels along like a demon, Faris’ screamed vocals pushing the talker to his death. ‘Little Victories’ then channels into this self-conscious terror:

“My paranoia, galvanised by your gaze, so austere…”

‘Thunderclaps’ is closest here to the comic gloom often captured by rockabilly garage, with its jaunty bass and guitar, and reference to the opener’s character:

“Watch them speak in thunderclaps/ No one more or much as Jack”.

Instrumental ‘Gil Sleeping’ is reminiscent of the experimental music created by the BBC Radiophonic Workshop in the 60s, for programmes such as Dr Who, with space-age bleeps and off-kilter organ. Whilst interesting, it breaks up the pace of the album, which may have been better off without its inclusion.

Strong closing track ‘A Train Roars’, features an instantly catchy, scratchy guitar line, pounding drums and vocals turned up to the menace-max:

“And everyone rides that train/ Ploughs a primal instinct/ to rail against better sense”

The music and lyrics of The Horrors allow the listener to experience both the thrill and the fear of potentially allowing the chaotic id free reign over the suppressing superego (erm, to be embarrassingly psychoanalytic for a moment there), something they have in common with Klaxons.

In the current musical climate their murky garage sound is quite unique, though a number of others like Billy Childish and Neils Children have been ploughing a similar furrow for some years, albeit without the same level of ‘mainstream’ attention. Some have questioned whether the band’s style and massive hairdos are bigger than their musical panache. Indeed considering the specialism of their sound, the future could be tenuous for The Horrors, but this is a musically and conceptually thrilling debut.

(4/5)