Music

There are, currently, pros and cons to being The Horrors. On the negative side, it’s tricky to contine doing the whole  ‘princes of darkness’ thing when the whole world knows you’re as posh as Keane, every other Topshop tosser is sporting a pair of skinny fit black jeans and you’re knocking about with her off ‘Popworld’. On the plus side, however, everyone is expecting your debut album to be crap. Which, fantastically, it isn’t.

Rather, ‘Strange House’ is one of the most exciting, inventive and downright amazing guitar records in ages. The opening cover of Screaming Lord Sutch’s  ‘Jack The Ripper’ is genuinely menacing, while all the singles  are infectious rackets packed full of experimental garage-goth guitar. Elsewhere, in the shape of instrumental ‘Gil Sleeping’, Faris and co have even managed to conjure something genuinely worthy of comparison to the finest work of loony ’60s producer and band hero Joe Meek. It's a record that will clear the decks of all the casual fans those acres of press coverage must have bought, but also one that will ensure the ones who do stay will be around for a while. And to The Horrors, you suspect, that’s what matters.