Skying

Skying boasts a song called "Moving Further Away," and that's exactly what the Horrors do on their third album. Neither a return to Strange House's goth-punk nor a simple continuation of Primary Colours' acclaimed Krautrock/shoegaze fusion, this time the band sets the dials of its way-back machine for the mid- and late `80s, sampling post-punk luminaries such as Echo & the Bunnymen, the Psychedelic Furs, and Simple Minds as well as the era's baggy trend. Yet somehow the Horrors' chameleon act seems more cohesive and convincing -- or perhaps it's just less shocking to hear them give their music another complete makeover. The main remnant of Primary Colours is that album's atmospheric yet detailed production, which the Horrors embellish further with dense layers of synth, guitars, and vocals. Skying's centerpiece and lead single, "Still Life," defines its approach, with sparkly mid-`80s keyboards and brass that only strengthen the feeling that Jim Kerr sang this song over the credits