For those who felt that "Still Life" just wasn't enough Horrors, worry not -- the band has made Skying available for a full album stream via their website. The much-anticipated follow up to 2009's Mercury Prize-nominated Primary Colours, Skying finds The Horrors comfortable in the post-punk, touches-of-shoegaze groove that Colours established.
The one unwavering constant throughout Skying, upon first listen, has to be Faris Badwan's brilliant vocals.
Badwan possesses some of the most polished, uniquely British vocals in modern indie rock. What started as a brash, punk-drenched debut in 2007 with Strange House has evolved into a finely-crafted, post-punk, shoegaze-drenched sound with Primary Colours and now, Skying. As evidenced by the third track, "I Can See Through You," Badwan straddles the line between that brazen punk style of singing with a more subdued, airy method. He's not screaming over a two minute punk rager, yet there are subtle hints of that style still vaguely present in Badwan's vocals.
Skying will struggle to live up to the rather lofty expectations that Primary Colours set forth, yet Colours was nominated for a Mercury Prize as well as being named the top album of 2009 by NME. What Skying represents is a noble follow-up to an album that most bands manage to create after a decade of trying -- not after a mere three years, as was the case for The Horrors.
Skying is out 7/11 via XL and is streaming via The Horrors' official website. Please enjoy the official video for "Still Life:"
