Horrors - Gloves

by Anthony Strutt

published: 7 / 3 / 2007

Label: Loogs/Polydor
Format: CDS

60's influenced and totally inspiring fourth single from much hyped Southend garage rockers, the Horrors

Review

Released as the Horrors fourth single a week prior to their debut album, ‘Gloves’ is full-on, totally groovy and sounds like the Fuzztones partying with the Cramps and being gatecrashed by Bauhaus. It is total bliss and has an added bonus of a narrative towards the end that sounds like Julian Cope at his most fried. The B side of the CD single is ‘Horrors Theme’, which ironically mentions gloves more then the A side. It is anything even better, very 60's flavoured, and is filthy-sounding and dirge-like, but in an elegant way. The more I hear of this band the more I like this bunch of youngsters from Southend. There are also two 7 inches. ‘Death at the Chapel’, the B side of the first 7 inch, is a live version of their debut single, recorded at the Coronet in Elephant and Castle, which is where their next London show will also be on the 13th of April. This reading is very punky, full on and thrashy with shouted vocals from singer Faris Badwan. The instrumentation meanwhile sounds like a garage version of the Stooges and the MC5. ‘Kicking Kay ‘, the B side of the other 7 inch, is much dirtier, sleazier and more psychedelic with an edgy bass and a groovy organ. Faris’ vocals sound like those of Mark E. Smith in the Fall but added to the music it makes full and total sense.