With V The Horrors have conjured up a moody, psychedelic, surprisingly groovy record that's decorated with just enough weird to retain the uneasy vibe the band's always revelled in.
To keep the energy up there are a few new-wave style tracks, but for the most part, the band explore subtler territory, exploring the limits of the mid-tempo murky atmosphere they've concocted or riding out a stoned shoe-gaze groove.
V is sonically inventive, gorgeously produced and a total success in blending style and substance. You can almost make the claim that every song's a highlight.
The head-nodding Madchester groove of Press Enter to Exit, with its vocals and monstrous funk-slab of a bass line recalling the Stone Roses, the squelchy synths and detached vocals of Hologram recall Gary Numan's outfit Tubeway Army, Tears for Fears could have penned the stadium-swaying 80s pop of World Below, while the majestic slum of Weighed Down and swirlingly delicate ballad It's a Good Life wouldn't be out of place on Suede's masterpiece Dog Man Star.
