The Horrors – ‘Night Life’ album review: Water that traps you, a musical apocalypse
THE SKINNY: The theme of music being all-encompassing and submerging is something a lot of people, myself included, call upon when writing about a large-sounding album. The moment drone effects come into play and instruments make a sound that doesn’t resonate as individual elements, it feels easy to say that you are submerged in that style of music. That’s a bit like what The Horrors‘ new album, Night Life, is like; however, that tried and tested comparison doesn’t quite do this record’s original and exciting nature justice.
Night Life is like the feeling you get when you ride a train, and it brakes, coming to a halt, throwing you forward slightly but then not jolting to pull you back. Its artistry works in part because of what actually happens and also what you expect to happen. The jolt forward is the sound of the record, and the tension involved in waiting for the jolt back is the effect of those sounds.
Night Life is a masterclass in everything cinematic. Small snippets at the beginning of tracks that aren’t repeated may seem insignificant, but they help to build tension, setting the foundations upon which subsequent instrumentation builds. Short songs feel drawn out while long numbers pass in seconds; it alters your perception of time and space, as the metaphorical water that you would be submerged in instead locks you in place, presses against you and holds you in this sonic apocalypse for the best part of 45 minutes.
The album is both loud and quiet, angry and sweet, chaotic and organised; it allows you to look at the same sound from different perspectives, an album with a choose-your-own-adventure feel. Words struggle to capture the magnitude of this mountainous piece of music, as The Horrors seem to be able to take sound to levels that had previously only been imagined.
For fans of: Impending doom, glimmers of hope, and all things in-between.
A concluding comment from someone in purgatory: “Yeah, sounds like this.”
Night Life track by track:
Release: March 21st | Label: Fiction Records | Producer: Yves Rothman
‘Ariel’: The album starts with the same intensity and droning effects that The Horrors were always known for. A low hum ushers in Night Life, which is accompanied by serene vocals and an atmosphere that steadily builds. The eventual release is heavy-hitting, impactful, full-bodied, and thick enough that you could walk on it. [4/5]
‘Silent Sister’: The instrumentation sounds as though a glitch in a computer update has grown sentient and tried playing the drums. It’s off-kilter and wonderful, the most perfect form of chaos bundled up and shoved down the ears of anyone nearby. The eventual beat pulled out of this mosaic of crossed wires and feedback is laced with dread, brooding every second, with equally sonic vocals accompanying it. [4.5/5]
‘The Silence That Remains’: This record builds an atmosphere unlike anything else out there. Sporadic chord notes put you on edge before the bulk of the track so much as whispers. It means that once a bassline and drums kick in, they feel like a relief, one that has you ease into the instrumentation with familiarity and comfort. This is an album which is easy to get lost in, smothered in the layers of borderline-cinematic sounds that accompany every track. [5/5]
‘Trial By Fire’: Heavy synth overpowers every other instrument in this song, with powerful vocals matching its tone. This is one of the album’s most aggressive tracks, and the instrumentation’s fiery nature matches the track’s title. It’s one to throw yourself into completely, a song that demands swinging arms and loose hair lost in nightclub spotlights. [4.5/5]
‘The Feeling Is Gone’: An angelic instrumentation with sinister undertones. This is a very steadily-paced song, remaining consistent in its toned-down style. While not the most exciting track on the album, it slots into the overall theme nicely and is properly placed at the halfway point. [3/5]
‘Lotus Eater’: Some novels are so long and twisted that you don’t come away remembering specifics; instead, you leave remembering a general vibe that the words gave you. ‘Lotus Eater’ feels exactly the same, as this seven-minute track leaves an impression on the listener but comes packed with so many different aspects, instrumentation and feelings that you take away a general idea of the song instead of anything dead to rights. You remember nodding your head, closing your eyes, getting lost in this borderline operatic song, and yet it also feels like a fever dream, something that didn’t actually happen but you wish did. Every second of this elongated ballad is used perfectly, and the song stands out amongst all the music in 2025. [5/5]
‘More Than Life’: Pulling us out of the droning dreamscape of ‘Lotus Eater’ and into the fiery distortion and drums of ‘More Than Life’, The Horrors seem to take joy in not letting us ever feel comfortable on this album. While an overriding tone persists, every song feels deeply individual, with different features that make it hard to ever truly feel at ease throughout the album. [4/5]
‘When The Rhythm Breaks’: A song that should be experienced rather than talked about. Inspired in its simplicity, profound in its unrelenting beauty. [4.5/5]
‘LA Runaway’: The closing track is arguably one of the most traditional on the album, an upbeat indie anthem that feels easy to dance to and a lot of fun to listen to. Ironically, an album you’ll be lost in for the better part of an hour finishes on a track about running away during a time when it’s as if you’ve finally found your way home. [4.5/5]
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