Thursday, December 13, 2018

Best of 2017: #1 - The Horrors - V (Wolf Tone)

The Horrors are no strangers to my year end Top 10 lists. In 2009, they were #2 with Primary Colours, and in 2014, they were #10, with Luminous. This year, they're #1, with V, appropriately, their fifth album. The Horrors have long been one of my favourite modern bands digging into the style of the 80s and merging it with a more modern style. 2014's Luminous was a nice return to form for the English band, with a punchy, garage tinged retro style, but this year's V was a remarkable leap forward. Intensely catchy and rooted in the giants of early new wave, the album is reminiscent of the best work of Gary Numan and Echo and the Bunnymen. "Hologram", the lead off track is vintage Numan, detached, dark, brooding and paranoid synth-rock. "Something to Remember Me By" plumbs Depeche Mode and Portishead for a catchy, shadowy dance floor vibe. "Machine" is one of the best tracks of 2017, equal parts crisp new wave and bruising post punk.

No comments:

Post a Comment