The Horrors — Strange House

Perhaps because of their U.K. origin — they've already been through their "band-of-the-minute" status and survived — The Horrors are one of those polarizing bands. They're either loved for their dark sound (think The Cramps meet Bauhaus in a graveyard) or derided for the fact that their Victorian-gothic image supposedly conceals a lack of talent. With the release of their first album, though, most naysayers ought to start looking below the surface. There are plenty of gems here, including "Sheena Is A Parasite" — a scratchy blast of punk fury that lasts just over 90 seconds — and the ominous choral drone of "Thunderclaps." It's a bit of a pity that any surf influence in their earlier songs has been left out (no "Crawdaddy Simone") in favour of pure doom-and-gloom, although the swinging combination of bass and organ in "Horrors' Theme" comes close. It all may sound like a gimmick at first listen, but these five make it as believable as bats in a bell tower.

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