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48 of 52 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Rock the minor chords!, March 27, 2006
There are lots of bands doing 80s Brit-rock these days: The Killers, Interpol, The Bravery. But here's a novel idea, how `bout Brit-rock from a band that is actually (gasp) British! Hailing from Birmingham these four former Stafford University students have had the U.K press buzzing about their 2005 debut disc The Back Room. Well after months of waiting, The Editors have finally hit the U.S. market.
I will tell you right now I love this disc. I have had it in my play rotation for four solid months (I got it as an import). Yes, they sound a bit like Interpol from the standpoint that both singers have that deadpan sort of Joy Division style going. But I think that The Editors' Tom Smith brings more of a flow and less of a drone to the music. His baritone voice fits in nicely with the overall minor key mood of the songs and never tries to go where it shouldn't.
A more apt comparison of the Editors' sound is to that of 80s alternative bands The Chameleons U.K., Cactus World News and Echo & The Bunnymen. Soaring and edgy guitars layered with just enough minor chords and shadows of goth to be cool but not too depressing. The guitar firepower is not in flashy solos but in mood building chords that instantly catch you and keep you focused and hooked.
"Lights" comes hard and fast right out of the gate while Smith croons, "I've got a million things to say." The bass and drums lay down a blistering pace and the guitars reverb up a storm of melody. Hot on the heels is "Munich," with more of the same guitar power and passion. By this point in the disc you will have already decided whether you love them or not.
The beat keeps driving but the lyrics turn a bit darker on "Blood." As Smith's warbling voice sings, "Blood runs through your veins / That's where our similarity ends." Lies, promises and trust are all themes here. "There's nothing believable in being honest / So cover your lies up / With another promise."
Another high point is "All Sparks" with it's repeating chorus hook of "all sparks will burn out in the end" sung over dark guitar and a slightly slower heavy bass. It reminds me a bit of Bauhaus. Smith belts this song out like an anthem. To top it off he also adds, "You burn like a bouncing cigarette...all sparks will burn out."
The first big noise from The Editors was with the U.K. single "Bullets," which sold out in a single day. Once again we get a soaring guitar hook with the fast-paced lyrics, "You don't need this disease / You don't, you don't need this disease." Here in print it may not seem that cool but believe me, when you hear it you will be instantly sold.
The lads also do well when they slow the pace down a bit. "Fall" and "Camera" both show off the band's ability to deliver intensity and passion without all the guitar bombast. But make no mistake, both songs continue to build throughout and churn up a good guitar noise before they finish. It's a very 80s throwback touch indeed.
But the best of the slow jams is without a doubt, "Open Your Arms." A little pop of drums starts it off very nicely and the guitars are very understated. After a couple of catchy verse - chorus exchanges the guitar begins to echo and the bass starts pounding as the drums get louder and louder. Smith howls above it all, "Open your arms and welcome / Open your arms and welcome...people to your town." The disc really should end right here.
"Distance," is the last track and while it is not a bad song it just doesn't have the power of "Open Your Arms." It is a minor quibble and certainly does not diminish the disc's overall appeal.
The Editors are not perfect on their debut. There is still plenty of room to grow and develop, especially in the lyrics department. Most every song here has a great line or two. So we know they have it within them to come up with really good lyrical hooks. Their next challenge will be to string a bunch of those lines together in a single song. They really didn't do that this time out but I am more than willing to give them a chance to work on it.
The Editors deliver the big, bold minor chord anthem better than any of their contemporaries. As I listen to this disc I can envision these songs sung like stadium rock anthems ala U2. I also know that right now they are a long way from that status and only time will tell where they go. Here's hoping that the Editors find the kind of success that they deserve. Like I said before, I love this disc.
R#
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An urgent sound flowing out of your speakers...., August 4, 2006
A lot of bands have come close to emulating the retro 80's post-punk sound but, except for Interpol, none have really captured my
attention more than Editors. As soon as I heard "Munich" on the UK XFM radio in early 2005 I was hooked. I had to work a little
bit to find other Editors songs since the album wasn't available here at the time.
Tom Smith's vocals have an earnestness as if he's trying to convince a jury to find him not guilty, as if his life is
at stake. Chris Urbanowicz's razor sharp guitars at times pulse, wail, or soar throughout the album. And Russell Leetch's
bass blends well with Ed Lay's tight drumming.
"Munich" is a song that has to be played loud, one of the most thrilling songs in the last 5 years, and my pick for
single of the year for 2005. "Blood" is another track to be played on repeat and it contains some of the albums'
more memorable lyrics. The opening bars of of my recent fave "Someone Says" are practically a homage to any early U2
song you can think of, with it's driving beat and staccato guitar tones. First single, "Bullets", has less of a melancholy
feel than some of the other tracks and a great thrashing, repeated chorus. There are a couple of slower tracks too, including
"Fall" and "Camera" where Smith employs some simple keyboards.
The bottom line is Editors can write and perform some impressive tunes, songs and riffs that stay in your head days
after you hear them. And I'm hoping for even greater things in their future releases.
For all fans of this album, I would strongly urge you to check out the following releases if you haven't already:
Joy Division - "Unknown Pleasures", "Closer"
The Chameleons - "Script of the Bridge", "Strange Times", "Peel Sessions", "What Does Anything Mean? Basically"
Kitchens of Distinction - "Strange Free World", "The Death of Cool"
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
great, June 10, 2006
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.
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