The Horrors, Strange House

There are several things that are noticeable upon listening to Strange House by The Horrors. The first is how come no one has already used this name for a band? Especially with all the metal bands out there and then the legions of mall kids that wanted to be Marilyn Manson; you’d have figured that “The Horrors” was taken. Second is how aptly named this album is. Not since Metallica’s Load has a title fit so perfectly.

The Horrors are from London — that should be a given, since the Brits are the only ones with bands still using the “The.” Also, a band as quirky as this could only come from there or from some major city on the coast. No way could a band that sounds like the soundtrack from Repo Man with a keyboard could originate from Middle America. That’s either a shame or could mean that only the nose-in-the-air music snobs would think this is great. Case in point: The Strokes.

Describing the band’s music is sort of a tough proposal. The allusion to the Repo Man soundtrack, more specifically to the Circle Jerks, but with a way-too-upfront keyboard added, is pretty damn close. Listen to “Draw Japan” or “Thunder Claps,” in particular — the latter evokes the chanting chorus of “TV Party.” A more conscious comparison is local weirdos Attic Ted, if the members of that band were in their late teens and wore way too tight jeans.

All of these wacky comparisons may make it seem like The Horrors have made a bad album, and that wouldn’t be totally true. Strange House, is good, but it gets very repetitive and, by the end, boring. It would have been nice if the band had done a little more experimenting. There is an instrumental on here, “Gil Sleeping,” but it’s as interesting as its title. I have a gut feeling that all of the reviewers and writers that have lauded this band with accolades are going to be the only ones who enjoy this album.