Customer Reviews

In This Light & On This Evening

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Editors' 2005 debut album "The Back Room" was one of the most accomplished debut albums of the past decade (I call it the UK's answer to Interpol's stellar debut album). The 2007 album "An End Has A Start" had some good songs on it but overall flet like a rehash of the debut album's musical ideas, and not nearly as good. THat left the band with a dilemma on what to do next. Having seen the fork in the road, the band apparently decided to take a decided left turn, and emerges with a new sound.

"In The Light and On The Evening" (14 tracks--including 5 bonus tracks; 67 min.) couldn't sound any different than the first two albums. The electric guitars have essentially been abandoned altogether, and instead a synthesizer sound (not unlike, say, Ultravox 25 years ago) is front and center. Check out the dark title track that opens the album. "Bricks and Mortar" (2nd UK single) and "Papillion" (1st UK single) follow in order. It's hard to see the commercial appeal of those songs, but as compared to the other songs on here, they are the 'catchiest' tracks on here. This is a mood album, pure and simple, and if you're in the proper mood, this will sound great. If you're looking for another serving of "The Back Room", you're going to be mightily disappointed, so, truly, buyer beware. The original album, released in the UK last October, ran 9 tracks. The US version comes with 5 bonus tracks (This House Is Full of Noice; I Want A Forest; A Life As a Ghost; Human; For the Money), all of which sound in the same vein as the regular albums tracks.

I've seen Editors in concert a number of times in support of their first two albums, and singer Tom Smith always gives his 110%, whether he's playing guitsr or piano, seemingly getting lost in a world of his own. It will be very interesting to find out how the new songs will be brought live (I guess guitar-player Chris Urbanowicz will switch to keyboards?). Can't wait to see those guys again. Finally, if you wonder where you can hear Editors, check out WOXY (BAM! The Future of Rock and Roll), the internet-only station that brings the best indie-music in the country, bar none, and where this album has been played regularly since its release.

I am of the opinion that "In This Light and On The Evening" is The Editors' best album to date. It takes their Joy Division/Interpol roots and pumps up the synths while seriously downplaying the guitars. They also seem more engaged with the songs than on "An End Has A Start." And before you know it, I'm making comparisons to Depeche Mode's "Black Celebration." As devotees to the new new wave, The Editors have found a solid groove.

That much is obvious on the opening track. A pulsing synth may surprise the guitar fans of the prior two albums, but then Tom Smith's deep baritone lets you know that you've got an Editors album on the player. Then comes a big revelation; "In this light and on this evening, London's become the most beautiful thing." Smith's happiness meter has spiked up noticeably on this disc, to the band's betterment.

That's not to say The Editors have gone completely soft. "Raw Meat/Blood Drool" is a pretty disturbing number. That said, it also has a memorable hook, which is something that categorizes most of "In The Light...". There's an obvious effort to make bigger melodies here than before, along with catchy choruses. Make no mistake, The Editors aren't The Archies. But with this album, they've managed to match their passions with their song-craft. Already one of my faves for the year.

I give this 4 stars because it didn't knock me down at first listen like their past albums. That doesn't mean this isn't a good offering though. I am hooked on a number of the songs after a few listens. Tom Smith's incredible voice alone is worth 4 stars minimum.

Sometimes when a band makes a big change it loses casual listeners, gains some new converts and hooks people who are way into them.

Admittedly, it took me a few listens to really start to love this album, but once I realized what I was listening to, I can hardly stay away. Editors really accomplished creating a mood for this album that escalates track after track. A story unfolds with each song giving hints and pieces of a tale that is intentionally ambiguous so that you can draw your own conclusions. Even if trying to concoct meaning from the songs is not for you, it is still a musical stunner: the perfect album to crank in the car or in your living room. Highly recommend.

Yes, the comparisons to Interpol are inevitable. They are from NYC, they play dark deep dance rock. Editors include more synths though, and that does serve to differentiate them. Some may find the keyboards overly schmaltzy or too 80s-ish, but I find them entertaining. When coupled with the melody, lyrics and mood, they create a nice soundscape.

If you like She Wants Revenge, New Order, Joy Division, Interpol, Parts and Labor or simliar dark new wave or post new wave bands, you are bound to like this one. The title track, "Bricks and Mortar", and "Eat Raw Meat = Blood Drool" are the real standouts in my opinion.

Do they push any new boundaries? Probably not. They sound right at home in the ones already there, though.

Dont try to fix it.... The editors were doing great with the style of thier first two cd's. This is a bid departure. Overall, the first third of the cd is very good. The remaining two thirds of it is not their best material. I dont mind the synth oriented stuff , its just that they did not do it well. The songs have odd topics that just dont move me like the other previous material did.

It's been almost two years since this album came out and after finding myself listening to it earlier today I had to put my two cents in on this one. Some fans had a problem with this album because of the synths and electronic sound. The thing is, the songs are still very much Editors - just in a different flavor. The best analogy I can make is when Canadian rock gods rush started dabbling in synths in the 1980s. At first fans were shocked, but now albums like Moving Pictures, Power Windows and Grace Under Pressure are considered classics. I think it's the same thing here. This is possibly Editor's strongest album to date as far as the ratio of good songs to bad songs. Only one or two songs could be considered weak in my book, and even those may grow on some people. However, if you're one of those people that hate when bands like Keane or Muse start experimenting and making albums that didn't sound like all their previous albums, I guess you can always go back and listen to The Back Room over and over again. I would just feel a bit sorry for you if you did.

My review here pertains to the "bonus" tracks available on this Deluxe version vs. the regular release LP (where I've also written my main review).In This Light And On This Evening

Here's the skinny, in my opinion:

1) At the time of this writing, the Deluxe version is actually cheaper than the standard version (!?) so you should buy the Deluxe.

2) But ...should the price go up or exceed the cost of the standard album, I just don't think the Deluxe album is worth much extra dough for the additional songs. What I'm saying is while I'm a big fan of the Editors, I just wasn't terribly impressed with these additional tracks found on the Deluxe version.

I definitely think you should buy some version of this album, just don't break the bank because this one has extra tracks.

When I saw the product description saying that this is recommended for fans of Interpol or Joy Division, I was highly skeptical. There are a lot of people who try to draw parallels to bands that they think sound like Interpol, or worse, Joy Division. But the fact that a band is also from NYC, like Interpol, does not automatically make them *sound* like them. I am fiercely protective of the sartorial foursome and don't take comparisons lightly.
However, previewing these songs I was pleasantly surprised. It does sound like one walked into a karaoke bar and heard Paul Banks covering "Love Will Tear Us Apart." I lack the technical musical expertise to describe how it draws parallels, but I would say that the lead singer "bends" his notes like Paul's singing style (a la "Mammoth" on Our Love to Admire).
I give it a 4 star because on some of the songs it doesn't quite sound like the lead singer can nail the higher notes. But for 3 bux it's a good listen.
Also, check out 24 Hour Party People, starring the incomparable Steve Coogan, which shows how Joy Division was discovered.

After listening to the single Papillon this cd seemed promising. Even though no guitars where there.
However the cd does not offer anything new to the allready existing Electro Pop. I