Man, I feel bad. Because the ever wonderful Andy N sent me this months ago, and I'm only reviewing it now. I wouldn't mind only I've reviewed stuff by other bands in the interim. I have no idea why I didn't get this done sooner, but it's finally done and that's all that matters.

So what do Horowitz do? Well, usually it's the sort of danceable indie pop with so bad they're good vocals that you come across sometimes, clever semi-ironic lyrics and everything. I don't exactly know how you'd best describe lyrics that namecheck Rollerskate Skinny, Sonic Youth and "CSI", like the one's you find on opener 'I Need A Blanket.' This song's got a great upbeat feel to it, even if the subject isn't something to smile about. It's even got some "Bada bada"'s thrown in for good measure, giving a sense of unpretentiousness and fun.

'Sister' blows it out of the water though. It's ridiculously catchy, with muddy guitars and heavily distorted vocals, as well as a really playful organ sound - dinky is the best word. The song is so full of adrenaline, it's weird when 'Robert D. Jones' pulls everything back to earth, with its sad slow organ and barely-audible drumming. Added to the end is a rather strange answering machine message that only adds to the sense of sadness. And then they're dragging us back out on the dancefloor again. 'Audrey's Post-It Notes' is really poppy, but it's kind of like when a clown smiles at you a little too much - you can't help but feel uncomfortable at times. At 2:46 it still sounds too sort, though.

In contrast, 'Milk And Cookies' can seem too long at times. It's almost seven minutes long, reminding me of The Coral at their most laid back. While it's pleasant enough, there's no real climax to the track, as every build-up gives way to more calming simple guitar. You'll feel blissed out, but when I listened to this CD for the very first time, I distinctly remember this song feeling out of place.

'Veronica Made A Tape' is another slow-burner, but for the first time singer Ian sounds quite malevolent. Again, you sort of get used to it, so that you start to enjoy the Summery guitars and organ. At least Horowitz wrap things up by injecting plenty of life into 'Stumble', hiding the melody under clanging guitars and causing toe-tapping aplenty before its rather abrupt end.

I'm sorry I didn't put this review up sooner, but perhaps it wasn't such a bad thing, as it allowed me more time to listen to the music and get a better feeling for it. Horowitz have a wonderful ear for a good hook and a guitar sound that reminds you of 60's surf bands one minute and garage rockers the next. That's a good thing, by the way. It's bands like this that make "pop" seem less like a four-letter word.

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