Customer Reviews

An End Has a Start [Vinyl]

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

We've seen this a number of times this year, and it can be a tricky proposal for some. In attempts to broaden and enlarge one's sound, bands can straddle the fence between a big sound and a bland bunch of recordings. On their second full length, An End Has a Start, Editors definitely reach for some of those loftier goals, and while it may miss a few here and there, the record on the whole gets plenty right in the process. The band keep their sound very much intact and only try to improve what has done before.

Leading off with the first single, Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors, the record does in fact sound bigger. The single is a good starting point but it clocks in a bit too long and as some have pointed out, is a little too Coldplay-ish, but I find it still pretty good none-the-less. By the time the second track starts up, you can notice the step up in production. The production on the entire record is rich and full, with a rather large nod going to producer Jacknife Lee. Adding things like a stronger vocal mix for Tom, string sections, and even a choir attest to this bigger, fuller sound.

So how are the "tunes" though? In short, much like (their debut) The Back Room. About half of An End Has a Start can point to a "sister" tune off of the Back Room. Bones for example, is the new Munich while the pacing and sound of Escape the Nest is pretty much what is found on Camera or Fall. Similarities aside, a fan of Editors is going to love the new album. I somehow find it dynamic without it being as hook driven as their first release. There are a couple of forgettable songs on here, but the overall quality of production and songwriting far outweigh any shortcomings. It's a bit of a "grower" as they say, but over time, I'll be happy to mark the doorframe.

P.S.
Anyone thinking about the deluxe package of An End Has A Start, might want to pass unless they HAVE to have it, as it really doesn't have much to offer than an over-sized bound book type of package. There isn't any lyrics or extras photos or anything. Just an FYI.

Joy Division released "Closer", The Comsat Angels released "Sleep No More", Echo released "Heaven Up Here", PIL released "Metal Box", The Chameleons released "What does everything mean, basically" - All sophmore albums that were met with reservations when first released that are now widely viewed as classics, and, arguably as the best albums the band's ever released. While "An End Has A Start" doesn't have the 'every song could be a single' pop sensibilities of their debut, the Editors have managed to maintain their edge while exploring some new territory in writing as well as studio recording. Some of the guitar melodies, especially on the title track as well as "The Racing Rats" are as infectious as the plague was in the middle ages - again bringing to mind The Chameleons with a touch of The Mission's earlier recordings - keyboards and orchestral embellishments add an element of texture that may find many listeners revisiting the songs that didn't capture attention on the first listen just to have them become the albums 'sleepers' - (how many fell under the spell of "Love Will Tear Us Apart" the second the needle hit the groove and eventually found "She's Lost Control" to be the disc living on the record player?).... Of all the bands that have popped up in the past few years, The Editors are one of the few that listeners may become truely passionate about more so as time passes.... For those of us lucky enough to have enjoyed them from the beginning..... Let's just see what happens.....

Enough with all the Interpol and U2 comparisons. Does anyone else hear the Big Country guitars in the songs like I do?? This is a great second album and the band is certainly not suffering from any sophomore slump. "An End Has A Start" sees the band beginning the maturing process. Sure, "The Back Room" was fantastic, if a bit one-dimensional. This album has many elements of "The Back Room", yet new sounds are creeping in there as well. I must add that these guys are a great live band too. The only comparison to U2 is that with a little time, they might be as big as U2 someday. Yes, they're that good and so is this album!

I just did a search for The Editors here and I think it is kind of funny that Interpol's new CD turned up four positions down on the page result because the only reason an old guy like me has even heard of this band was due to my conducting a search a few weeks ago regarding the release date for Our Love to Admire. I came across an article in which the reporter claimed that The Editors were a rip-off of Interpol. Whether that is true or not I cannot say although the influence of the great band on The Editors is undeniable in the tracks of An End Has a Start. That they may possibly be derivative is irrelevant to me, however, as I love these songs and love this album. I am not surprised that another reviewer had a line from "The Weight of the World" as his title because the tune is both haunting and excellent. Really, the first time through I thought this was an uneven CD and one that I would give three stars to but I was totally wrong. I now appreciate every song and think they range from excellent to above average.

...from a sophomore effort. The Editors put out an exhilirating album with their first, The Back Room. As good as the album was, some tracks grew stale with repeat listenings. This is not the case with An End Has a Start; the tracks here only improve with repeated listenings. The three or four slow songs on this album are a HUGE improvement over songs like "Camera" from "The Back Room;" "Push Your Head Towards the Air" slowly builds to a single, electrifying moment that leaves the listener with goosebumps. Also, a nice change from many albums these days, An End Has a Start is far from front heavy. Yes, they placed their singles towards the beginnning (which are undeniably good), but the best songs are tracks 6-8: "The Racing Rats," the aforementioned "Push Your Head Towards the Air," and the explosive "Escape the Nest." Editors has also taken a great leap forward in their lyrics. Gone are the repetitive rantings of Bullets ("You don't need this disease," etc.), replaced instead by a beautiful lyrical tapestry "Standing at the edge of your town/with the skyline in your eyes/Reaching out to God/the Sun says its goodbye" from "The Racing Rats. An End Has a Start is an excellent display of growth from a talented band. Pay no heed to those drawing comparisons between U2, Coldplay, and Interpol; the Editors are their own band, and they are on their way to becomming something big.

Even more so than The Back Room, An End Has a Start is commendable for its oftentimes mild and enchanting melodies. With a vocalist reminiscent of the Interpol singer and a sound not far off from a mix of Coldplay and The Bravery, Editors deliver a very refined musical style on this album which sounds almost majestic in the first and last tracks, and upbeat with songs such as the title track and Escape the Nest. An End Has a Start does contain a few subtle differences from the band's debut album, mainly being a focus on enjoyable harmonies rather than on new wave-style drum beats backing the tracks. The music of the Editors has evolved just enough on this album to push it to what I consider the band's finest work so far, something very appreciable in comparison to many of the wrong directions that other recent bands have been going in. Overall I'd rate this album somewhere in between 4 ½ and 5 stars, and would consider it the furthest thing from a disappointment. Highly recommended.
Favorite tracks: Weight of the World, Bones, Push Your Head Towards the Air, Escape the Nest

Editors stormed onto the UK music scene in 2005 with several singles and then their impeccable debut album "The Back Room", which was released in the US in early 2006. Now comes the eagerly awaited follow-up album.

"An End Has A Start" (10 tracks, 45 min.) starts off with "Smokers Outside the Hospital Room", a departure yet ambitious tune which I find a curious choice as the album's first single, as there is no immediate hook. The title track follows, a hard charging song that ranks among the band's best. A pattern seems to follow for the remainder of the album: slower song, followed by an upbeat song: "The Weight of the World" is an epic song (reminding me of Big Country, with its searing guitars), followed by the best track of the album, "Bones", with an irresitable guitar-and-drum hook (and which seems to me to have been a more obvious choice as the lead-off single). Other highlights for me include "The Racing Rats" and "Escape The Nest". The album falters a bit towards the end, and it is clear to me that Tom Smith (singer-main song writer) wanted to reach out for the stars and become more ambitious, which is fine, but the bottom line is that this album doesn't match the immediate urgency that was on display on "The Back Room".

I've seen Editors in concert a number of times, and was particularly intruiged by a then-unknown and new song they played at last year's Coachella festival, which now shows up on this album: "Bones". Editors are one of the better bands to come out of the rich music UK fertile grounds in the last couple of years. While I like "The Back Room" better, this is a pretty good album too, and I can't wait to see where Editors go from here. Highly recommended!

I bought this CD after viewing their video for An End Has A Start. Loved the song and hoped that at least some of the other songs would be as powerful. I was pleasantly surprised to find ALL the songs on this CD are great. There is a mixture of slow and fast songs which may put some people off. However, the slower songs have lyrics so great that it makes up for their lack of speed. I've had this CD in my car player since my purchase and play it nearly every day. That is rare for me. Highly recommend.

Those in their 40s and 50s will recognize this sound. Editors occupy a 1980 musical centroid amongst the vigour of The Skids, the anthemic bombast of U2 and the dole of Joy Division. For me this was a speculative purchase, and not knowing what to expect I was very pleasantly surprised. I played it again and again. This turned out to be a bad move because the very catchy melodies swirled around in my head for days afterwards.
This guitar and keyboard band has two gimmicks; an open mouthed and melifluous baritone singer, who often carries the tune, never strains himself and is placed well forward in the recording; and a lead guitar which sounds something like an electric surf mandolin. The effect is to highlight or intensify the crescendos, and most of the tracks have powerful dynamic tunes.
A brickbat for the cover design. It features a fuzzy picture of a gasometer and very little useful information. There is nothing about the band except their names, and no song lyrics.

This CD is honestly one of the best ones I have purchased in quite some time. Almost every single song is amazing, the lyrics are moving, the music is really melodic and overall, I am pleasantly surprised by how well this CD is arranged.

I am really happy I bought this CD and can definitely recommend it to anyone else who likes dreamy, melodic alternative/rock music from the heart.