Early last year, Editors rode into NYC on a jetstream of trans-Atlantic buzz, all but requiring faithful blogophiles’ presence to do their due diligence at Mercury Lounge, despite the somewhat lackluster studio incarnations of the debut’s tracks. A minute into that set, though, The Back Room was forgotten, replaced by a beast of a live band. Go home to play the CD for your roommate, and be left dumbfounded — again struck by Tom Smith’s plain take on Paul Banks (or Ian Curtis, however you wanted to play it). That’s been the rub with Editors, and those caught in the band’s lukewarm-record-kickass-concert conundrum are all ears for An End Has A Start, Editors’ forthcoming follow up.
The BBC’s Zane Lowe spun the record’s lead single “Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors,” and the radio rip isn’t encouraging. Where once Editors pushed their post-punk with a touch of shadow (“Munich,” “All Sparks,” “Bullets”), “Smokers” sees the band bypassing the shade, proceeding directly to guitars ringing from the Edge; Verse Two harmonies ala Chris Martin; and the incessant, downbeat crash cymbal bashing of every band trying to sound “big.” If that’s your thing, you’ll love it. If it’ll take more than mildly warmed over post-Coldplay arena rock to grab ya, it’s forgettable. Head to Deaf Indie Elephants for a listen.
[Pic from Editors set at Webster Hall 3/30/06.]
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at least people can’t say they sound like interpol anymore. just exactly like snow patrol.
I guess bands nowadays are just forgoing albums altogether and shooting straight for “Grey’s Anatomy” stardum.. What a shitty time for music…
i disagree with your claim that “the back room” was mediocre — i thought this album was pretty excellent and better than anything interpol has put out.
however, i agree wholeheartedly with your review of the new single. this was my exact worry when i read in a couple interviews, first, that the band “is in a happier place now” and, two, that they are aiming for “a bigger sound.” yuck. another british band with a great debut album but a crappy sophomore effort (see also: bloc party, the rakes).
“another british band with a great debut album but a crappy sophomore effort.”
You haven’t even fucking heard it yet! It’s already crappy? How can you seriously type a sentence like that? Could you at least wait until the album is released before you express your already pre-determined disappointment with it? Christ! It’s a “shitty time for music” because a band’s entire record is being dismissed by far too critical music “fans” before it’s even been released.
Got to agree with Brian here. Just seems the trendy thing for wannabe ‘critics’ to shoot down a band’s second album as absolute shit whether you’ve actually listened to it or not. Besides, it’s not a bad single, a bit of a grower I think. I’ll actually wait for the album before passing judgement on it.