Luminous

Having taken 15 months to see completion, the Horror’s fourth album Luminous doesn’t waste any time taking its time. Sure enough, “Chasing Shadows” begins the album with a deliberately ponderous three minutes of atmosphere to set the table for what turns out to be an adventurous, sonically rich and rewarding trip to the far ends of alternative rock and its electronic counterparts. Songs such as “First Day of Spring” and the excellent “So Now You Know” scream for the headphones where one can enjoy the layers of sound that blur with the use of extra reverb. “In and Out of Sight” screams for the dance floor with its kinetic beats, while Faris Badwan’s vocals are mixed in such a way that only more headphone listening will extract the meaning of this flow. Clearly, keyboardist Tom Furse deserves a raise, for he carries the band’s sound through “Jealous Sun,” “Falling Star” and “Sleepwalk,” though guitarist Joshua Third does his best to keep pace. Only “Change Your Mind” slows down and allows enough space for Badwan to get intimate before the chorus shows up and the band revs up the sound once again.