Back Room

Editors | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 21, 2006)
• Number of Discs: 1
• ASIN: B0009Z5R3Q
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #660,765 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Back Room is the debut album from the Birmingham based Indie/Rock outfit Editors, that features the successful singles 'Munich', 'Blood' and 'Bullets'. 11total tracks. F2 Music. 2006.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Promising UK band, January 28, 2006

By 

alexander laurence (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Back Room (Audio CD)

It is 2006 already, and we have maybe the first exciting new band of the year. I first heard this record on the Rodney Bingenheimer show one late night. I thought it was a new obscure Interpol track. Of course I heard the whole album, and it seems that there is another band from England who loves Joy Division and some of the more forgotten post-punk bands. Singer Tom Smith even sounds more like Ian Curtis than Paul Banks does. On the first two tracks, Editors have the atmosphere of U2 (1982) more so than Joy Division. Like some post-punk bands, like Echo and The Bunnymen, Editors have a lot of dynamic with their two guitars, rather than being bass driven like Joy Division. Some of the songs like "Blood" and "All Sparks" are very catchy and remarkable. This band is no copyist. There are slow moody pieces and faster dancey songs like "Someone Says" which is more like Bloc Party. When you think that there is nothing left, they come up with a killer track like "Bullets" which has the repeating phrase "You don't need this disease." There is a very hopeful yearning on most of the songs. The presentation is rather sparse and architectural. Most of the songs have one-word titles. Editors is all about saying more with less. I look forward to seeing them play live.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars solid debut, October 14, 2005

By 

M. Lohrke (Saratoga Springs, UT) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Back Room (Audio CD)

'editors?' fortunately what editors (no article 'the') lack in a quality band name, they more than make up for on their debut album.

one of the few bands to actually produce something worthwhile in this whole questionable 'nu wave revival,' editors pack a lot more emotional wallop than nu-wave wannabes like the bravery and the killers. and editors, unlike the bravery and the killers, actually understand what it means to write a decent song. while a lot of the songs do sound reasonably similar, none of the songs come off sounding repetitive. the album is full of great basslines, jackhammer drumming, and kaleidascopic guitars.

tom's vocals are deceptively sincere and heartfelt, in a mortician sort of way. that's not to say, however, that he can't carry a melody, because he sure can--insert comparisons to paul banks, ian mcculloch, and yes, ian curtis here.

vocal queue's aside, editors really know how to write a top notch tune. 'munich' (the best track on the album, in my opinion) is a corker -- swirling guitars, deadpan (but sincere)vocals, soaring chorus and the great line 'with one hand you calm me, with one hand i'm still.' it's one of the year's top singles and should get the band noticed on this side of the pond. *should.*

'back room' is a very solid and promising debut. great vocals and lyrics, infectious hooks, solid musicianship. like most decent bands coming out of the UK, editors will, unfortunately, most likely go unnoticed outside snobby indie music circles. but when tom pronounces an edict like 'you'll speak when your spoken to' on 'munich,' one gets the feeling editors will tell YOU when to listen.