Albums Of 2009

1. The XX- xx

Where so many bands fill their space with noise and layers these four teenagers from London showed that less can indeed be more. Set to a musical backdrop of trip-hop, two step and dub dual vocalists Olliver Sim and Romy Croft open their hearts and mouths scattering broken hearted rhymes and brittle citadels of romance. From the upbeat pop tunes of ‘Basic Space’ and ‘VCR’ to the stunning ‘Crystalised’ and ‘Shelter’ this debut album never drops below astonishing. The future is neon bright for The XX but even if they packed it all in tomorrow they have left their indelible dark mark on 2009.

2. The Horrors- Primary Colours

It would have been so easy for The Horrors to conform to the stereotypes forced upon them and to churn out an album of sub Sonic/ Cramps tunes. The much maligned five piece defied expectations though and emerged from an underground studio having worked with Portishead’s Geoff Barrow on ‘Primary Colours’ 2009’s most unexpected hit. Much of the album works as a tribute to the bands influences, showcasing their love of 60’s psychadelia and bands like Neu! And Can resulting in tracks like the sprawling motorik beat of ‘Sea Within A Sea’. Elsewhere the aggressive glam stomp of yore is brought to a natural progression on ‘Who Can Say’ and ‘New Ice Age’. Every single copy of ‘Primary Colours’ should come issued with a big steaming slice of humble pie.

3. Yeah Yeah Yeah’s- It’s Blitz!

After the glitter punk thrash of their debut album and the experimental sounds of its follow up Karen O and co. took the natural progression on album number three and went all out disco pop. From the opening call to arms double bill of ‘Zero’ and ‘Heads Will Roll’ this album sees spirits high in the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s camp and as usual there is a battle between the distorted fuzz of Nick Zinner’s guitar and Karen O’s charismatic onslaught resulting in a double K.O. If at first it’s the fist pumping anthems that grab you then it’s the slower and more delicate moments that will have you coming back to ‘It’s Blitz!’ with ‘Hysteric’ and ‘Runaway’ rivalling anything the group have done before for elegance and poise.

4. The Maccabees- Wall Of Arms

This is the album which saw The Maccabees go from men to boys and burst out from the pack with a host of epic romantic anthems. Enlisting Arcade Fire producer Markus Dravs was a master stroke on the part of the Brighton band as his sense of the gargantuan merged with the shy indie promise shown on the bands 2007 debut record. This meeting of minds saw lead singer Orlando Weeks emerge as a town crier for the sad and alone, a klaxon for the soppy and love lorn. Listen to a song as good as ‘Love You Better’ or the National gone post punk brilliance of ‘No Kind Words’ and tell us that The Maccabees aren’t a band to cherish. You can’t and ‘Wall Of Arms’ is their tour de force.

5. Jamie T- Kings & Queens

It wasn’t mentioned much at the time but there must have been a great deal of pressure on Jamie T to follow up his superb debut ‘Panic Prevention’. Any signs of nerves or tension didn’t show one single bit however as with a swig of his brew Jamie hit the ball out of the court on ‘Kings & Queens’ showing his unique flow, spirit and precocious talent. This album has a real communal brothers in arms feel as swaying sing alongs like ‘The Man’s Machine’ line up alongside frantic skittering sugar rush tunes like ‘Chaka Demus’ and ‘Sticks ‘N’ Stones’.

6. Arctic Monkeys- 'Humbug'
7. Danananaykroyd- 'Hey Everyone!'
8. Florence and The Machine- 'Lungs'
9. The Big Pink- 'A Brief History Of Love'
10. Wild Beasts- 'Two Dancers'

The Top 10 on Spotify

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Exclusive Footage Of Lumina's New Video

Hey, remember earlier in the year when I talked about Lumina? Well exciting things are afoot for the Horrors/ Ipso Facto spin off.

Aside from supporting Muse on tour with The Horrors Faris has found the time to direct a video for the Lumina cover of Black Lips 'I'll Be With You'.

Thanks to VBS.tv and Vodafone360 you can go behind the scenes of the Lumina shoot and see Faris (Badwan, one half of Lumina with Cherish Kaya formerly of the now defunct Ipso Facto)'s ideas for the video, how it came about and a sneak preiew of the stunning video itself.

To watch the rest of the video visit http://heroes.vodafone360.com/

To watch interviews, previews and more see below.

MP3: Lumina- 'I'll Be With You'

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Offset 2009

Squeezing the last blood from the Summer festival stone is London’s Offset, a two day event with one of the best alternative line-ups of the whole season. Forcing the Shoreditch glitterati up against hardcore bands such as Rolo Tomassi and more traditional indie groups makes for an interesting dynamic and provides something for almost everyone.

Pulled Apart By Horses tear through their set with an energy and zest that enthrals the converted and more than turns the heads of those yet to fall for the Leeds based band. What should be a similar triumph for Future Of The Left however turns out to be something of a damp squib. Handicapped by a short set time Falco and Kelson’s jokes fall flat as they focus too much on the quirkier songs from ‘Travels With Myself And Another’ leaving the whole show airing dangerously close to sounding like a novelty act.

Elsewhere on the Saturday Bombay Bicycle Club play a set full of songs you didn’t realise you knew with Jack Steadman’s twitchy performance a highlight. Even though many whispers of how much they sound like The Maccabees in earshot seeing songs such as ‘Always Like This’ and ‘Dust On The Ground’ played live make you wonder why this band are not bigger. One band who were very big but have now found themselves levelled out is The Futureheads. Their contemporaries were once The Killers, Bloc Party and Kaiser Chiefs but now they find themselves playing the same songs but to much smaller audiences. Going by this festival appearance however this is a miscarriage of justice as the group from the North East tear through hits from across their three albums focussing mainly on their fantastic self-titled debut airing the likes of ‘Le Garage’, ‘Carnival Kids’ and festival favourite ‘Hounds Of Love’.

The second day of Offset sees the opportunity to hear some of the year’s best albums given a live airing. Very few would argue that Wild Beasts, The XX and The Horrors have not made some of the most innovative and exciting records of 2009 and it is a pleasure to hear them all come to life on the stage. Wild Beasts in particular enrapture with tracks from their ‘Two Dancers’ album with ‘Hooting and Howling’ impressing alongside ‘All The Kings Men’ and first album cuts such as the sublime ‘Devil’s Crayon’. A truly bizarre and unique band yet one anchored down by a sense of romance Wild Beasts are quickly making themselves one of the bands of the year. Relative new kids on the block The XX might have made an amazing album but surely it wouldn’t hurt them to crack a smile every once in a while. With songs as beguiling and soft as ‘Basic Space’ and ‘VCR’ to unleash surely they must be on cloud nine? If anyone can make them chuckle by the end of the year please let us know. One band who need no encouragement to have fun are Dananananaykroyd and the Glaswegian sextet propel their live show at 100mph towards the audience. Undoubtedly the performance of the weekend the visceral pounding of their music is juxtaposed by the catchy choruses and like a comic book At The Drive In the group leave the stage to a mass of smiles and tapping toes.

Some, if not all, of the hype surrounding The Horrors second album ‘Primary Colours’ seems to have died down recently perhaps due to the fact the album does not translate very well to a festival audience. Appearing, through no fault of their own, forty five minutes late does not help and those who have to return to London are making their way towards the tube station as Faris Badwan stomps his way around the tiny main stage. Perhaps they need the absolute pitch black surroundings of a gig venue or the sweaty enclosed walls but having seen The Horrors twice over the Summer it’s fair to say that they are not representing a fantastic album to the best of its abilities across the fields of Britain. No matter how many times Badwan spits or guitarist Joshua postures there is no hiding that The Horrors need a dingy hall to make things work.

Photo via Helen Boast@ DiS

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Free MP3: Lumina- 'I'll Be With You'

"Lumina started as something I was messing around with at home - I'd been getting really fixated on making electronic recordings that sounded human and warm, all the sounds were made with synths,"

The result is this Black Lips cover, set to feature as a b-side to the forthcoming Lips single 'Drugs'. Teaming up with ex-Ipso Facto and sometime member of Florence's Machine Cherish Kaya the track is an eery drone with a hypnotic understatement. To download it for free click the link below.

Lumina- 'I'll Be With You'

ALSO- New Horrors video action

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Field Day 2009

For This Is Fake DIY

As synonymous with organisational problems as anything else Field Day has struggled in the two years since its birth. Any worries of a repeat of the Great Toilet Wait of 2008 were soon allayed this year as an abundance of portaloos were dotted around the site, this teamed with the excellent bar service and excellent sound throughout the site mean that Field Days detractors are going to have to find something new to moan about next year.

Chances are it will be the weather as for a second year running Victoria Park has bore witness to apocalyptic rain and whilst it may be funny to watch a hipster drown nobody can claim to have enjoyed the various drenchings throughout the day. Luckily however, much of the day’s best action happened in the tents. Starting off with much hyped The XX who staked their claim as the most talked about new band of 2009 by filling their tent to bursting point and keeping many watching from the outside. At the time of going onstage the weather was much better and if there is one band who don’t suit the sun it’s the itchy and nocturnal XX. Despite being at odds with their surrounding the young band play through their delicate and brittle hits with ‘Basic Space’ and ‘Stars’ particularly impressing. You half suspect this band might be best suited to 3am home listening however given some time and a different atmosphere The XX will shine live.

Moving from the introverted and subtle to the ambitious and direct Temper Trap is a big jump. The Australian outfit play a brand of FM ready rock that is ill at ease with this festivals aggressively uncommercial nature and as a result the band come off looking a bit silly. It is odd how the band who emerged in late 2008 with a raft of catchy songs seem to have axed their good material in favour of a series of mid-paced croons and moments reminiscent of best forgotten The Fray. The Temper Trap’s set today is like so much they do, sleek and professional but more than a bit cold.

As The Horrors take to the stage the daylight suddenly becomes all the more illuminating. Not because of the sun, that’s long gone, but because seeing The Horrors in anything other than pitch black is just wrong. The majority of ‘Primary Colours’ is aired today and whilst ‘New Ice Age’ and ‘Who Could Say’ sound good Faris Badwan and co. are missing their mojo today. Offering very little in the way of charisma or stage presence is unlike The Horrors but it’s a crime they are guilty of today. A performance to forget.

Currently hijacking the critical acclaim train that The Horrors have ridden for 6 months are Wild Beasts. Their new album ‘Two Dancers’ is getting critics hot under the collar and as they take to the stage you can see why. ‘The Fun Powder Plot’ and ‘Hooting and Howling’ get an early airing and go to show just how special a band Wild Beasts are, weird and beautiful they have the world at their feet. There is just time to hear ‘The Devil’s Crayon before dashing over to the Bugged Out! Tent to hear Little Boots reviving the ghost of Billie Piper and the Venga Boys. Perhaps it’s harsh but there is something missing in Victroia Hesketh’s arsenal, something critical. The songs are all fantastic as a celebratory ‘Click’ and the ever-brilliant ‘Stuck On Repeat’ show but much of the performance feels like a façade, an episode of Faking It dragged into reality. One day Victoria Hesketh will write a decade defining song however on today’s evidence it won’t be for herself.

Around 7pm the heavens truly open and the rain pours incessantly. A dripping wet mass descend upon The Big Pink to hear their intense set of industrial lullabies. Today working as a three piece the band are uncompromising in their aggression but do more than cater to the casual viewer with a series of sing along choruses and hit singles. Kicking off with ‘Too Young To Love’ the trio then descend into a sludge of feedback and beats which grind together in a wistful fashion. Perhaps the setlist is mismanaged as many album tracks are played in sequence before a crashing finale of ‘Velvet’ and ‘Dominos’ but The Big Pink get away with it. Of all the new bands on display today The Big Pink seem most likely to rapidly work their way up the pecking order over the next 12 months.

Headline time brought something of a conundrum. Do you go for the earnest and epic Mogwai or the fun but frivolous Mystery Jets? Despite knowing Mystery Jets will be more enjoyable there is a part of you that thinks you need to see Mogwai, to be educated in the ways of post rock and how not to be a silly indie boy. However after 45 minutes of punishing and relentless intrumentals the brain begins to turn to mush and the sounds of Eel Pie Island become all the more enticing. Running headlong into the Mystery Jets throng we hear the biggest sing-along of the day for ‘Two Doors Down’ and a celebratory ‘Behind The Bunhouse’. Blaine Harrison et al leave the stage victorious and the grinning crowd leave Victoria Park for another year with fingers crossed for a day of sunshine this time next year.

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Hold the phone...

Since when did The Horrors have sun tans? I feel cheated.

In other news the Mercury Music Prize nominees have been announced. Shockingly (but probably correctly) omitting Doves, Manic Street Preachers and Lily Allen it's a typically eclectic list with Bat For Lashes, La Roux and The Horrors probably battling it out for the eventual gong.

• Bat For Lashes: Two Suns


• Friendly Fires: Friendly Fires


• Florence and the Machine: Lungs


• Glasvegas: Glasvegas


• Lisa Hannigan: Sea Shew


• The Horrors: Primary Colours


• The Invisible: Invisible


• Kasabian: West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum


• La Roux: La Roux


• Led Bib: Sensible Shoes


• Speech Debelle: Speech Therapy


• Sweet Billy Pilgrim: Twice Born Men

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Mercury's in Retrograde.

As seen on BBC.co.uk

To me the Mercury Music Prize is a weird one. More important than the BRIT's but less fun than the NME awards it seems caught between wanting to award innovation whilst recognising bands who have already achieved huge commercial success. Personally I'd like to see it revamped slightly to bring it in line with Canada's Polaris Prize with a record sales cap for nominees. This would eradicate the likes of Coldplay being nominated and not turning up to the awards whilst giving much needed mainstream publicity for under-appreciated acts. For that is another strange aspect of this prize, the tabloids, broadsheets, websites and blogs peer and pour over it to the nth degree and in that slightly skewed sense it is important to have a worthy winner. Next week sees the shortlist for this years prize announced, here is who I'd like to see get a mention.

Personally I'd love to see Friendly Fires win the award. I believe the Mercury should award innovation and forward thinking and whilst the Devon based 3-piece have left a crumb-trail from Detroit techno via blissfull shoegaze they still create a sound akin to an intergalactic disco. What I love the most about the band and their self titled debut album is how romantic it is. So often dance music, or music with an eye on the dancefloor, loses it's ability to emote but Friendly Fires make songs about falling in love across the artificial smoke and strobing neon lights- it's a devastating blend. Take the song 'Paris' for example, essentially a flighty tale of idealistic escapism it is elevated by vast caves of heart swelling noise and a rhythm even the most surly curmudgeon would find irresistible. To see a band I first heard on a Kitsune compilation grow and develop into a fully fledged festival rocking monster is a joy to behold and is what the Mercury prize should be rewarding.

Aside from Friendly Fires I'd love to see The Maccabees get nominated. So cruelly dismissed as a landfill indie unit the Brighton band went into to studio with Arcade Fire's producer and crafted an album that sounds like the Canadian band sound tracking a sweet and tender coming of age film. Honest and ambitious 'Wall Of Arms' is the sound of a band growing in confidence and defying all expectations in the process. I fully expect to see The Horrors on the Mercury shortlist with their album 'Primary Colours'- ordinarily I'd be raving about it as the second coming as I have on numerous occasions this year however to me this prize is about innovation along the lines of Dizzee Rascal's stunning debut or Burial laying the foundations for the dubstep movement soaring in 2009. With that in mind I do hope the judges are not swayed by critical praise and recognise that whilst 'Primary Colours' is stunning it is far too retrospective to win the award outright.

Presumably one or two of Little Boots, La Roux and Florence and The Machine will be nominated. I'd like to see Florence join the list as she is one of the most talented performers I have ever had the privilege to watch perform and her album 'Lungs' sounds so lost in it's own passion that you lose all cynicism and find yourself looking for the nearest forest to go stage an impromptu party in. Moreover if Florence gets to play on the night it will rival Amy Winehouse in 2007 for a definitive Mercury performance- there is not a better singer in popular music today than Florence Welch.



To round things off I'll mention a few acts who probably won't get nominated but it would be wonderful to see. Dananananaykroyd and Sky Larkin contribute towards a group of bands in the UK who have created a greater sense of community and independence than any major label, multi million 'campaign' could ever instill into a fan base. Alongside Los Campesinos! they have created three albums in 'Hey Everyone!', 'The Golden Spike' and 'We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed' that have made the past 12 months consistently exciting and sounding great. Similarly, Future Of The Left are a band who have to do things the hard way and make a glorious racket in the process. Their album 'Travels With Myself and Another' is a furious rant against the ills of society and includes a stunning dismissal of the countries Barfly venues that could unite a thousand jobbing bands in recognition. Elsewhere nods for Metronomy, Patrick Wolf, Franz Ferdinand, Late of The Pier, Eugene McGuinness or Bat For Lashes would all be richly deserved.

If half of these acts make it through (and more importantly White Lies don't) then I'l be a very happy bunny and enjoy the furious internet arguments over who 'deserves' to win with pleasure.


*My money is on The Manic's or The Horrors.

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2009's Quarterly Review: April- June

It's fair to say the last three months have been busy. With so many albums to get through let's crack on.

The Horrors defy all expectations.

'Stupid scensters with bad hair' The Horrors released the Geoff Barrow produced 'Primary Colours' in April and forced every critic in the country to listen to it accompanied with a steaming hot slice of humble pie. 'Primary Colours' is by far and away the best album released in 2009 so far. Esoteric and accomplished it brings light where once there was Cramps fuelled dark. The Horrors have always been a brave and confrontational unit and that transfers into this record, sure it takes some obvious and direct influence but great art is about looking to the past and transferring it to the future. The Horrors have done that and more- it will take a big effort to beat 'Primary Colours' in 2009.

It's Blitz!

When it comes to looking back over the past decade (as we will no doubt be forced to in 6 months time) then band of the decade could well be Yeah Yeah Yeah's. Over 3 albums and 2 EP's they have become a floor filling, tear duct welling tour-de-force that can't be messed with and It's Blitz! is perhaps their most accomplished work to date. Comprising all the components of a great YYY's album it has trashy glamour ('Heads Will Roll', 'Zero') heartbreaking Karen O moments ('Runaway', 'Skeletons') and maybe the best song of the year so far 'Hysteric'. An utterly perfect album.

Stepping up a notch

The Maccabees had the feeling of a band destined to be middle runners, 100% unjustified it would have been but in the great cull of landfill Indie 2009 they could so easily have been a casualty. Instead they came out fighting with 'Wall Of Arms' a gargantuan album with sonic reinforcement that almost matches the heart swelling sentiment that runs through every last second of their material. Produced by Coldplay and Arcade Fire co-hort Markus Dravs the stadium sized dynamics bleed through to The Maccabees touching indie pop to create a deep well of emotion that swirls and resonates beautifully. If they continue making steps up on this level the future looks bright for the Brighton 5 piece.

Hype sisters

They both have vaginas and the hopes of major label bosses resting on their shoulders and that is all but you're duty bound to asses Little Boots and La Roux as a pair. Both have now released their debut albums since they were crowned HOT ONES TO WATCH FOR THE FUTURE 2009 in January. Little Boots 'Hands' is an unashamed and big fun pop album that is most impressive. La Roux's self titled effort however is a more mature and long lasting album that sees a human tear roll down robotic cheeks. For all the talk of 80's influence Little Boots album is the most retro- it sounds like Vengaboys and Billie Piper in places. I fear for where she is heading.

Elsewhere...

Danananaykroyd and Future Of The Left made some of the most brutal but fun thrash pop of the year with their equally brilliant albums 'Hey Everyone!' and 'Travels With Myself and Another'. Bat For Lashes took her mystical boho-pop and with the help of Yeasayer and Scott Walker made it more cohesive and dark on 'Two Suns' whilst Metric took their foot off the pedal a bit and made a considered and at times fun record on 'Fantasies'. Passion Pit built on their early promise and delivered a euphoric pop album that sounds like a sugar rush in a Disney cartoon from the future, if you can hack the falsetto it's marvelous. White Denim continue to ram every genre since the 50's into three minute ditties that sound like they were written and recorded in a cave in the desert. Patrick Wolf released 'The Bachelor' the first of his two album opus these next two years. Featuring Alec Empire and Tilda Swinton it's a moving and powerful piece of work that is equal parts camp and emotional. Kasabian and Gossip both came out with 3rd albums- Kasabian experiment a bit but still can't take the leap fully, probably for the best as their lager anthems are still the best around. Gossip meanwhile made another album like their last only this time Rick Rubin produced it so it sounds nice and tight. Finally, Regina Spektor is beginning to sound comfortable on her major label and is duly bringing back the quirks and kooks on 'Far' an album that contains dolphin impressions and a song about a lost wallet- naturally.

Disappointments.

Maximo Park released 'Quicken The Heart', an album that has its moments but ultimately feels like a band running out of the steam their amazing debut granted them. Like The Horrors or The Maccabees Jack Penate re-invented himself on 'Everything is New'. The not so subtle title fails to mention how he is the new Lou Bega.

To see the best singles of April- June then click here

To get a Spotify playlist of April- June go here.

January- March Spotify playlist.
April- June Spotify playlist

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For the Record: May

Shit, totally forgot it was June already. May's been a pretty great month all in all, maybe the best of the year so far. Here are my picks of the best albums released during the month.

The Horrors- Primary Colours (Review)
The Maccabees- Colour It In (Review)
Patrick Wolf- The Bachelor (Review)
Passion Pit- Manners (Review)
Jarvis Cocker- Further Complications
Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson- Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson
Grizzly Bear- Veckatimest
Maximo Park- Quicken The Heart (Review)


I genuinely can't decide between The Horrors and Maccabees for album of the month. The former is such a massive progression and makes me feel proud of the band, like watching a bullied child hit back with a round house kick. However The Maccabees have made their own steps forward and made one of the most romantic albums I've heard in years. Chances are they'll both be competing for the #1 spot in my end of year poll- let's call it a draw for May and let battle commence in December.

Notable absensces: Green Day and Manic Street Preachers. Old men in punk bands are the saddest thing in the world.

Download these

The Horrors- 'Sea Within A Sea'
The Maccabees- 'No Kind Words'
Patrick Wolf- 'Damaris'
Passion Pit- 'The Reeling'
Jarvis Cocker- 'Angela'
Maximo Park- 'Roller Disco Dreams'
M-BAR- 'Buriedfed'
Grizzly Bear- 'Two Years'

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April: Blog Highlights

So what happened in April? Well...

Trent Reznor kicked things off by being very funny indeed

The Horrors and Dananana made amazing albums for me to review.

I met up with Orlando from The Maccabees for a chat.

Then went to Manchester to see Karen O tear it up.

Alison Mosshart proved she was once human and not a robotic cool machine.

and Jamie T returned with new music from his Sticks N Stones EP.

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This is the last thing I will post about The Horrors

unless I go see them live... You can hear the bands fantastic new album (9/10 review here) via this murky little widget below. Enjoy.

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The Horrors- Who Can Say

I'm posting this from the waiting lounge at York train station at 10 o'clock at night. Dedication or a sign of madness? Either way here is the fantastic new video from The Horrors (this isn't a Horrors fan-blog but it's certainly getting there).

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The Horrors- 'Primary Colours'

Fir Gigwise.com

Besides Bono and Jonny Borrell there are very few acts who have been on the receiving end of such bile as the black-clad Southend quintet in recent memory. What exactly was their crime though? To back-comb their hair and wear tight jeans? Russell Brand has made a fortune doing that. To wear their 60's garage rock influences on their sleeves? Pretty much every band at the turn of this decade did the same to great commercial and critical success. To just be not very good? Well, that is of course subjective and the bands debut album 'Strange House' may well be a patchy affair but in it's strongest moments ('Count In Five', Sheena Is A Parasite') it's a solid modern re imagining of The Sonics by way of The Cramps. So still the question remains, why do The Horrors face such opposition?Perhaps it's an innate, Nathan Barley inspired dislike of hipster style over substance. The idea that any band who take an interest in fashion and aesthetic are 'not real' and just playing at the big mans game of pop music. Either way the self-imposed barriers have always stood between The Horrors and credibility.

So The Horrors return would be forgiven for perhaps being met with muted expectations. What is interesting however is that it is this low level of anticipation that will work in The Horrors favour as they have crafted an incredible return that should see them finally gain the even playing field they have always deserved.

From the off you know things have changed from the haunted seaside organ swirls of 'Strange House' as you are thrust into a deep and hypnotic pit of introspection and 'Primary Colours' violence. There seems to be two factors ruling the recording of this album. The first is Geoff Barrow of Portishead who is manning the producers desk throughout. His heavy and intense style is felt throughout and is a defining motif running to the very heart of the album. The second is the way the album was recorded in an underground studio with no windows. Horrors lead singer Faris Badwan has described how this led to a timeless atmosphere leading to non-stop four day recording sessions. This shows in the music, it feels semi-conscious at moments- gone are the shrieks and fits of yore and in their place control and repetition. This state of mind similarly defines the record.

Some things haven't changed though. The Horrors have always been known for their vintage record collection and 'Primary Colours' is a myriad of influences popping up and introducing themselves at every turn. From the obvious and immediate: Jesus and Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine. To the more unexpected: Can and Neu! 'Primary Colours' is a walking, talking avant garde box of 7"s. Sometimes this gets the better of them, 'I Can't Control Myself' is a note for note impression of 'Come Together' by Spiritualized for example, but generally it acts as a starting point from which the songs run forward. The album kicks off with a haze of synths before a motorik drum beat kicks in like headlights through fog. A nagging bassline and Badwans synonymous vocals join the fray and combine to create an unsettling introduction to the next 45 minutes of your life. Unsettling is perhaps the best word to sum up 'Primary Colours' for it is not an album you can leave on in the background, it's a screaming child of a record constantly demanding attention and wanting to show you new things it's learnt to do, never letting you rest. 'Three Decades' is reminiscent of the old Horrors sound with it's higher pitched keys and speedy delivery however past lives are soon forgotten as 'Who Can Say' kicks in. A scuzzball of feedback and piercing wurlitzer it hammers away with incredible style and panache, the middle eight collapsing into a spoken word verse before one last gasp for air amidst more layers of feedback. It's an incredible piece of music. Similar moments of excitement come with the rabid screams of "The agony!, Tick, tick Dead!" on 'New Ice Age' as well as the cascading romance of 'Scarlet Fields' and 'Primary Colours'. The only time the albums falls apart it does so in typically decadent fashion, the droning and impenetrable 'I Only Think Of You' is a seven minute headache this writer is yet to endure the duration of.

The Horrors have exceeded all expectations with 'Primary Colours'. Where most bands would be happy to rest on their laurels The Horrors have created a piece of work that redefines who they are as a group, places them amongst experimental and exciting contemporaries and ultimately acts as a glorious middle finger to anyone whoever doubted them. The bar has been raised.

9/10

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'Primary Colours' Track by Track

Also on Gigwise.com

The buzz surrounding the return of The Horrors must surely be audible from outer space such is the the ubiquity of it. Already hailed by those who've heard it as an early contender for album of the year the Southend come Shoreditch five piece have indeed crafted a special and surprising album. Allow Gigwise to guide you through the eye-opening 45 minutes of 'Primary Colours'.

1. Mirror's Image
A woozy and warped intro gives way to a climbing synth line and Faris Badwan's morose vocals. It's a jump in the deep end for old-school Horrors fans and a jolt in the arm for the detractors.

2. Three Decades
Perhaps the most 'Strange House' The Horrors get is on this second track. There are still great swathes of distortion and psychadelia but wild vocals set atop a disco beat make this an accessible album entry point.

3. Who Can Say
Two influences define 'Primary Colours' and 'Who Can Say' is where you begin to hear the My Bloody Valentine/ Jesus and Mary Chain worship begin. A relentless fuzzy chug of a bassline and chiming, hi-hat drums are 'Loveless' all over. The middle eight consists of a spoken word part that gossip mongers will have you believe is about Peaches Geldof.

4. Do You Remember
Faris goes all romantic on us with this tale of love seperated by the sea. "I will cross the ocean, I will be with you soon" he sings like Ian Brown on a diet of Bauhaus and Suicide. Black hearted brilliance.

5. New Ice Age
As camp and dramatic as anything The Horrors have recorded before. Wave upon wave of feedback are pierced by shrieks of, "The agony. Tick, tick, tick dead!" from Badwan alongside the first semblance of an anthemic chorus. Again the band sound magnificent, thanks, in no small part, to their producer Geoff Barrow of Portishead.

6. Scarlet Fields
A beautiful gothic ballad set at a demi pace, disconcertingly lulled between fast and slow. Like much of the album the choruses and hooks are not delivered vocally but by guitar solos and reptition of synth riffs.

7. I Only Think Of You
This might lose a few people. A seven minute drone epic, 'I Only Think Of You, sounds like wading through a swamp. You suspect this made the album as a way of showing off a broad pallette of influences as opposed to improving the record as a whole.

8. I Can't Control Myself
A future single contender? It certainly is one of the poppier moments of 'Primary Colours'. Having said that they'd have to consult Jason Pierce as this is note for note exactly the same as Spiritualized's 'Come Together'.

9. Primary Colours
A pretty and colourful romp equppied with chiming instrumentation and a confident vocal throughout.

10. Sea Within A Sea
A.K.A the free, 8 minute download the band gave away via their website last month. Some critics have dubbed this Neu! Order in a dismissal of The Horrors close relationship with their influences. For three and a half minutes 'Sea Within A Sea' is a krautrock stomp before giving way to intergalactic electronics and waltzing off into the twighlight amidst the pulses and blips.

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March's Best Bits

Yeah Yeah Yeah's- It's Blitz reviewed. link
Jack White and Alison Mosshart start new band. link
The Art of Stepping Up. link
Words with... School Of Seven Bells. link
Metric- Fantasies reviewed. link
Bat For Lashes- Two Suns reviewed. link
Jack Penate returns. link
So do Maximo Park. link
And The Horrors. link

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The Art Of 'Stepping Up'

Ask anybody with access to promo copies of soon to be released albums what they are currently listening to and you will be met with two likely answers: The Maccabees and The Horrors. Both these bands forthcoming second albums are creating undue amounts of buzz, hype and any other words that mean 'journalists like this'. Interestingly both acts are being praised for making albums immeasurably better than their debut albums. Personally I have always found The Maccabees and The Horrors to be two of the most misunderstood bands around.

It has always struck me people associate The Maccabees with 'landfill indie' and the mass swathes of indeti-kit groups who emerge and disappear without making a lasting ripple. However when I listen to The Maccabees I hear a band with a heart as deep as a well and more romanticism than a thousand Pete Doherty B-Sides. 2007's 'Colour It In' is ram packed full of naive tales of young love set to a skewered post-punk backdrop. 'X-Ray', 'Latchmere' and 'About Your Dress' should be indie disco floor-fillers for eternity and 'Toothpaste Kisses' or 'First Love' could soundtrack a thousand burgeoning love affairs. So when I first heard the new material from the Brighton four piece's new album 'Wall Of Arms' I was far from shocked at how good it was. Cries of enjoyment spread across message boards of "It's like The National with bigger production" or "This is so not what I was expecting" as each album copy dropped on every door step. To me 'No Kind Words' and 'Love You Better' sound like the band I knew existed landing the sucker punch they had previously promised.

If The Maccabees were underrated then The Horrors were rated, slated and hated to the nth degree. I'm not sure a more divise band has existed in recent times and that's what I have always loved about them. There are two sticks the detractors hit The Horrors with A) They are ripping off bands like The Sonics and The Cramps B) They are style over substance. The latter of these complaints has always struck me as a nonsense insult. So what if a band look like they have taken more than five minutes to get dressed? I like a band to look better than their audience. As for their music well sure, they wear their influences on their sleeves but for a relatively mainstream band they have decidedly left field tastes and the same can be said for their music. Having seen the band play with such 'pioneers' as The View, The Automatic and the The Fratellis I can tell you there is no greater pleasure than seeing a confused lad rock devotee staring stage-wards with a mixture of fear and anger spreading across his face as he realises there will be no opportunity to throw his pint in the air arriving any time soon. Much like The Maccabees Faris Badwan and co. have made a significant step up with their second album 'Primary Colours' (full review coming soon). For a band who have always been uncomprimising the whole record is an subversive middle finger to their harshest critics.

In an industry so willing to chew up new bands and spit them out again it is encouraging to see two bands taking risks on their second records and coming out victorious. It's the attitudes of the people who had written these bands off that is suspect. How are bands meant to develop and grow when they are so quickly pigeon holed? It's no wonder acts turn in carbon copies of their debuts when that is what the world seems to want them to do. Support bands, have faith, allow them to take their time over things and good results will come. Hopefully The Horrors and The Maccabees will inspire more bands to take the necessary risks.

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Not a lot happens on a Friday (but I feel compelled to post regardless)

Pretty slow week this all told. Hopefully some better service will commence in the next few weeks with stuff about The Horrors, The Maccabees, Kap Bambino, New Music Monday, Hatcham Social and Mika Miko lined up. Below are the ten tracks stuck on repeat in Boring HQ, the frankly disturbing new Patrick Wolf video (yeah we get it, you're gay) and new music from Vampire Weekend on Jimmy Fallon's US TV Show. Somebody said I look like Jimmy Fallon once- I wasn't impressed.

1. The Horrors- Sea Within A Sea.
2. Filthy Dukes- Nonsense In The Dark (Ft. Orlando Weeks)
3. Hatcham Social- Murder In The Dark.
4. Navvy- Disco.
5. The Maccabees- Kisses & Liasons.
6. Patrick Wolf- Vulture.
7. Metric- Gold Guns Girls.
8. Asher Roth- I Love College.
9. Sunset Cinema Club- Undercover Martyn.
10. DD/MM/YYYY- Bronzage.
    

This 'new' Vampire Weekend track isn't exactly 'new' as they have been playing it live for quite a while (I'm fairly sure I heard it at a gig last October) but it is definitely the first time they have performed it wearing a red fleece with the sleeves rolled up.



Finally here is what happened when Katy Perry tried to convince Florence she is cool (Hint: she failed)

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The Horrors- 'Sea Within A Sea'

The Horrors have released a brand new track from their forthcoming second album 'Primary Colours'. The song, 'Sea Within A Sea', is an 8 minute epic, produced by Portishead's Geoff Barrow, and a complete departure for the band. Heavily influenced by Kraut and Shoegaze it sees frontman Faris Rotter singing in a more traditional style (almost like Ian Brown/Tim Burgess) for the first time alongside space age synths, jarring guitar squeals and hypnotic loops.

'Sea Within A Sea' became available at around 9.30pm ahead of the mysterious countdown on www.thehorrors.co.uk which culminated at midnight with the unveiling of the video for the song. The live performance video was directed by Jesus and Mary Chain's Douglas Hart.

The closing track on 'Primary Colours' and looks set to force a lot of people to re-evaluate one of the most divise bands in British music. Love it ot hate it this new sound is impressive, sit back and watch the sparks fly.

The Horrors- 'Sea Within A Sea' MP3

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