Primary Colours

The Horrors
Primary Colours
9 out of 10

It is rare, very rare, for a band to overcome a poorly received early career and transform into something classic and legendary. Most bands either hit the scene fully formed with classic after classic release, or they stick around releasing the same thing over and over again. I've racked my brain and can only come up with three bands that have overcome this trend. Radiohead is perhaps the prime example, their first cd Pablo Honey was unremarkable frat rock. I thought "Creep" would be the only song we would ever hear from them. Who knew, when The Bends was released, that they would be starting an amazing and influential career. Same with Talk Talk and Blur. Talk Talk began as a fluffy new romantic synth pop band that metamorphosed into a genre bending ambient jazz collective, while Blur transcended their Manchester rave rock beginnings into a sharp, Kinks like Brit pop band that chronicled the new Britain. It was dazzling watching these bands become who they are.

I think we are seeing the same thing with The Horrors. They came out a few years ago one of the most hyped bands in Britain. Of course, they were talked about more for their sense of style than anything. They all were skinny with cool haircuts and tight pants and clothing. It didn't hurt that legendary video director Chris Cunningham helmed their video for "Sheena Was a Parasite" starring the wonderful actress Samantha Morton.



The video was actually much better than the song, which was nothing more than a pastiche of punkabilly that was mastered by far better bands like The Cramps. Their first ep and subsequent debut cd Strange House offered more of the same; two to three minute blasts of punk, rockabilly, psych rock and churning organ over screaming vocals. It was bracing at first, but then became tiresome. I put the cds away never thinking I would listen to them again, let alone contemplate buying another cd from them. Then I heard some interesting news, their second cd was being produced by Geoff Barrow of Portishead and Chris Cunningham. And then came the video for the first single "Sea Within A Sea." It was almost like hearing a brand new band.



An 8 minute blast of krautrock and art rock, you can hear faint echoes of their old sound in the background, particularly with the hints of organ. Lead singer Faris Badwan forgoes the usual screaming and actually sings for the first time on record. After hearing it the first time, I must have listened to the song about 20 times straight through. It will definitely end up on my top ten singles of the year.

And the rest of the cd is just as striking. Lead song "Mirror's Image" starts off in Brian Eno ambient territory until letting go with squalling guitars a la My Bloody Valentine.



The middle portion of the cd lets loose with several songs that feel akin in spirit to Joy Division's seminal release Unknown Pleasures. "Three Decades," "Who Can Say," and "Do You Remember" marry the torrent of MBV like guitars, haunting organ, and Badwan's deep baritone into an amazing pieces of dramatic rock.







This is not to say that the whole cd is all one note. They do find time to slow things down and rely more on texture and atmosphere. This is typical of tracks such as "I Only Think of You," which sounds like a funeral dirge for a dead relationship.



Which all leads up to the penultimate track "Scarlet Fields."



The song starts out like some lost outtake from OMD's experimental masterpiece Dazzle Ships. It then builds into probably the most direct song on the album, with a driving backbeat and haunting organ and guitar work. It is an amazing song. The band has truly come into their own, willing to trade the pummeling nature of their early work and experiment with silence and mood.

There are only a few missteps on the cd. Some of the songs do tend to blur into one another if listened to out of sequence. And in the middle of the song "Who Can Say" there is pretty jaw droppingly bad spoken word piece that nearly threatens to derail the song. Luckily it is over with quickly and they regain their footing.

Primary Colours feels like The Horrors' The Bends. I am thrilled every time I listen to this cd and it makes me only wonder what their next release will sound like. Go buy this cd. It is amazing.