The Horrors - Strange House

There are certain skills and personal qualities conducive to doing a good job of pop. Three such key strengths possessed by Southend freak-rockers The Horrors are: a sense of humour, a distinctive world view, and a blinding drummer. Desirable but not essential is a first rate knowledge of pop history (the music, not the trivia). They've got that too. Strange House is a track for track romp through theatrical goth romance and sharp garage rock sonics. Fans of The Dirtbombs or Eighties Matchbox B-line Disaster will be familiar with the rockin' black nonsense vibe, the thrashed guitars, the daft, visionary lyrics. Everyone will be delighted by the noir-ish fun to be had. A marketing tidal wave is behind these lads. Ignore it, and enjoy this, their first sooty hoot. [RJ Thomson]