received a normalised score of 87 based on 19 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". The Guardian critic Alexis Petridis gave the album 5 out of 5 stars in his review, proclaiming that the album "performs the not inconsiderable feat of sounding commercial without losing any of the Horrors' essence or individuality. You might reasonably counter that the kind of British alt-rock that currently sells sticks close to a landfill indie blueprint, with none of the invention and imagination on display here. Equally, there's something really powerful and undeniable about Vs songs that suggests it could provide the most unlikely twist in an unlikely story: the Horrors actually becoming as big as the overheated hype announced they would a decade ago. Whether that happens or not, it's a triumph". In a 4-star review for AllMusic, Heather Phares focused on the variety of sounds within the album: "As the album spans 'World Belows fusion of shoegaze and industrial, 'Something to Remember Me Bys bittersweet widescreen synth pop, the trip-hop-tinged "Ghost", and the Suede-like balladry of 'It's a Good Life', the variety of sounds the band explores feels particularly engaging, especially when compared to the way Skying and Luminous presented their music as an ethereal blur". Concluding his review for The Skinny, Lewis Wade said, "Overall, V feels like a consolidation of all of the strengths that the Horrors have built up over the last 10 years, tightly bundled and perfectly accessible without sacrificing any of their artistic integrity". Paul Carr's review for PopMatters was similarly positive, claiming, "On V, the Horrors have got their mojo back. They sound lean, keen and mean but with songs to match the swagger. This is the album the band needed to make". Stephen Dalton's review for Classic Rock was more reserved in its appraisal, stating that "Faris Badwan's polished croon lends a classy air to proceedings, though some of these studio-sculpted anthems clearly owe more to production wizardry and guitar-pedal pyrotechnics than solid songwriting". Track listing PersonnelThe Horrors Faris Badwan – vocals Joshua Third – guitars Tom Furse – keyboards, synthesizers, drum programming Rhys Webb – bass, synthesizers, guitars Joe Spurgeon – drums, drum programming, synthesizersAdditional musicians Harry Edwards – celloProduction' Paul Epworth – production Mandy Parnell – mastering Matt Wiggins – engineering, mixing Big Active – design Faris Badwan – design Erik Ferguson – digital imaging Riley Macintyre – assistance Luke Pickering – assistance Charts References