The Horrors – Luminous

The Horrors are a band famed for wearing their musical influences like a badge of honour, and their fourth studio album Luminous is no different – the sound of the record is a homage to classic British pop rock, but with various modern electronica, punk and indie influences all coming together to contribute to The Horrors’ characteristic sound.

Keeping a consistent feel to a band is risky as music can end up sounding a little too similar, and there is a hint of this with this record – while Luminous is definitely enjoyable, it doesn’t bring anything particularly new to the band’s sound. The tracks work together well as a collective, and the lead single So Now You Know seems to have the potential to become an instant favourite with fans, but there isn’t a big distinction between this new music and the band’s previous album Skying, released in 2011.

Nevertheless, viewing the album apart from previous releases makes for a good listening experience – the opening track Chasing Shadows has a tantalising build of sound into the full swing of the song, with Jealous Sun and I See You two other particularly enjoyable moments of the album. The tracks transition into each other well, and even though the record may not be outstanding, the overall sound of the album is steadily satisfying.

Luminous may be a bit lacking in punch, but The Horrors’ fans won’t be disappointed with the new album, and new listeners to the band will find a good collection of songs that could either be listened to attentively or as a consistent background playlist.

Amy McLelland

Luminous was released on 5^th May 2014. For further information or to order the album visit The Horrors’ website here.

Watch the video for So Now You Know here: