This Is Our Jam: The Horrors, “Still Life”

Goth subculture has always been as theatrical as it is dark. Along with the Satanic imagery and monochromatic outfits, there are also ruffles, fishnets, ascots, and a whole lot of makeup. Really, most Goths are just looking for their own brand of pretty. The Horrors seems to have fully realized this, moving from what used to be stark, Bauhaus-indebted proto-Goth to a sound that fully embraces mid-'80s flamboyancy. With “Still Life,” The Horrors have paid homage to touchstones like INXS, Echo and the Bunnymen, Tears for Fears, and New Order—the whole gamut of the Donnie Darko soundtrack, really. The visuals in the video for the song (below), have also abandoned flat black, instead injecting a swashbuckling New Romanticism to the trippy ultra-saturated imagery. For a band that could have faded into the darkness they embraced, The Horrors' new penchant for vibrancy suits them quite well. (Pitchfork)