7 out of 10On "Primary Colours", The Horrors second proper full length, they take the "punk-rock" accents/raw recordings/Birthday Party sounds from "Strange House" and bury them on under vast amounts of distorted guitars, psychedelics, and 80's Goth ballads. The end of which sounds like Joy Division meets Public Image Ltd gone Shoegaze.
Had this release come out during the height of Interpol's career they're might have been some comparisons as to who was the better "Nu Division" band. However, Rather than just exploring the "poppier" side of Joy Division like Interpol does sometimes, The Horrors also explore the grimey, dark, and underground side of the early 80's UK dance punk scene. The guitar work is way more experimental than what you may be used to with older Horrors releases, almost reminiscent of My Bloody Valentine or Jesus And Mary Chain. Nearly every other track is an interesting take on what a guitar's effect pedal can offer. And of course Faris Badwan's vocals never let you down. They're kind of "Goth-y", definitely "Punk-y", and always in top notch angst-ridden form. Sometimes reminding me of Stellastars vocalist Shawn Christensen. The synthesizers are in pitch-perfect distorted format on every track making for a perfect companion to the other endless amounts of saturated sounds. The bass lines keep you in the mood to dance. The drums sound 60's surf rock revivalist-esque, which are both laid back and bouncy. Both Chris Cunningham (amazing visual artist/producer) and Geoff Barrow (Portishead) lend a hand with the production on "Primary Colours", so you know the right producers are behind it. Every sound/person/technical aspect of this album is 100% solid from beginning to end. If I had to say anything negative it would be that some of the songs sound "muddy" compared to others, not as well produced. But they all have their place.
Overall "Primary Colours" is definitely one of the greats of 09. Check into The Horrors IMMEDIATELY if you like dark/moapy loud and obnoxious punk rock sounds/any of the bands I mentioned above.
Standout Tracks: Mirrors Image, Three Decades, Who Can You See, Scarlet Fields, I Only Think Of You, Sea Within A Sea
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