Editors – In This Light And On This Evening

When I first read that Editors were leaving their traditional sound, scrapping their guitars and changing their sound to electronic I was blatantly shocked. However, I felt optimistic in the sense that another album with the same sounding guitar riffs from Chris Urbanowicz would truly ware off on me.

My fascination with Editors began when I received Munich off of iTunes as a free single of the week. At first, I didn’t bother listening to it, but on a summer day I played it non-stop. It made me want more and more, and at that point the band was already on their second record ‘An End Has A Start’. After getting my hands on both albums I knew that this band stood out to me.

Editors

I’ve always had a knack for getting into bands primarily from the U.K. and Editors are no different. Despite their comparisons to Interpol, The Chameleons, Echo and The Bunnymen, and most importantly, Joy Divison, I never took that away from the music Editors gave.

Their first two albums were guitar driven. Enough said. Ghostly in some to rigorous and driving in others. Editors debut was ‘The Back Room’ and of course, being British, they gained success. The songs on this record such as ‘Munich’, ‘Bullets’, and ‘Blood’ are all great songs which bring out instant fan favorites and hits, however there are song such as ‘Open Your Arms’ which build up so climactically that the payoff is sweet. And not to mention the onslaught on b-sides this album had just made the listening experience even better.

With a successful debut, Editors were destined for fans and great music. It only took two years for the quartet to release their follow up, ‘An End Has A Start’. This album was much more of the same from their debut. There were differences though, as piano was used in songs such as the powerful ‘Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors’ and ‘The Racing Rats’. ‘When Anger Shows’ and ‘Push Your Head Towards The Air’ are songs that climactically build up and have great payoffs. The b-sides on this record were a little disappointing but that added to how much one can appreciate songs like ‘Well Worn Hand’ which was recorded in one take with guitar, vocals and piano.

Guitar was the key to Editors success as their sound was distinguishable from the rest. However, their trademark, apart from singer Tom Smith’s exceptionally deep voice was being cut out. The group agreed that electronic music was the direction they should head in. From listening to the Terminator theme song to writing 18 new songs, Editors took two years time to record their third record, ‘In This Light and On This Evening’.

Lead singer Tom Smith had this to say about the record;

Lead Singer Tom Smith

“We wanted to create something we had never really tried out before and tried to make as many interesting sounds as possible. There are a lot of interesting percussive ideas that aren’t necessarily just from drums. There are a lot of vocals on there as well. Everybody got stuck in with those. We didn’t see any point in just repeating what we’ve done before. I’m really impressed with the songs and I think we’ve got a great record coming out.”

Leading up to this album, I was dying to hear a song. Papillon, edited, was released as a promo single and I couldn’t stop listening. The song was danceable, almost unheard of if you listened to their first two albums, and this song had such a beat and synthesizer that for a moment, I couldn’t believe that it really was Editors.

The album was available to be streamed in the U.K. and I eventually came across the download of the album and couldn’t resist. First of all, the record only contains 9 songs, so it is very short in length. This was done intentionally in order that you listen to the whole thing through, a smart idea because the whole record contains no songs that can be deemed ‘skippable’.

The record beings with it’s title track, and you are brought right away into a dark electronic synth that continues throughout the whole song and almost immediately, Tom Smith’s voice enters, dark and almost robotic. There is a little guitar in the background and a steady piano, buildup, something very crucial in this song. Heavy synth organs just under three minutes bring us in the aggressive pounding of the keys and an aggressive bass riff until it ends abruptly with the same key as the song began with, a wonderful opener, their best.

‘Bricks and Mortar’ is the longest song on the record –and Editors longest song ever – as it times in at just around six minutes and twenty seconds. This song has another echoed synth with a steady bass line until Tom comes in yet again and preaches to the masses about finding your God until the drums come in and Tom repeats his lament with the synth moving on with his voice. The chorus is the most electronic aspect of this album and it moves so well it is sounds like Depeche Mode. It moves me and is a key song on this record, along with their live performance. The song ends with the same pounding electronic sound until a well produced fade out with many loops.

‘Papillon’ is the least darkest track as it is fun and enjoyable, however it does contain it’s own dark elements from the signature “it kicks like a sleep twitch” to the pulsing bass line or steady synth that paces on throughout the entire song. The single version is edited and much shorter, but the album version has a long five minute length which has a great middle that shouldn’t be cut out. Leading us into ‘You Don’t Know Love’ we are reminded of dark Joy Division tunes to gospel songs from Depeche Mode. Tom falsettos with some ah ha’s and the song picks up with more great build up. Strings are another key part of this song as it works until two and a half minutes, and with a brief pause we get the aggressive “you don’t know love like you used to” repeated on and on until it is the last thing spoken as the track ends.

Editors; Russel, Ed, Tom, Chris

Midway point in the record and we get immersed into an almost industrial Nine Inch Nails type of sound with a wailing electronic sound that steadies on until we are brought into a cluster of dark keys and pacing aggressive synths. This song is brilliant but it by far the hardest song to get into. Evil and dark are the things this song brings, as the lyric “they took what once was ours” rages on inside your head, accompanied by another slow fade out. ‘The Boxer’ is soft and wonderful to listen and has brilliant vocal work with Tom as the beat that drives the song keeps the song cool and a great leader into the next track.

‘Like Treasure’ is my favorite song of the whole record, that’s what I am saying right away. The bass is great right off the beginning, the synths are soft but present and Tom’s voice keeps the song steady until the chorus which is so haunting it can give you Goosebumps. The background vocals are amazing and tingle the hairs on the back of your neck and as simple as the words are, they can haunt you as after the chorus moves we have a very 80’s synth which goes well with the song. Lyrically the song is mysterious and talks about politics and how corrupt they may be. This song makes the first bit of listening even more worth it.

When new Editors songs were on Youtube, I listened to every version as I could. ‘Eat Raw Meat = Blood Drool’ was one of those songs which had such an aggressive tune to it I loved it. The live versions seemed to give a little more umph to the song; however the track on the album itself is very strong. Tom’s vocals are ruffled at points, and the lyrics are twisted as well. When the drumming comes in to the strong synthed chorus, this song is great. Once the piano comes it is a true Editors song and it paces on and on and once again has a great climax. Definitely single potential with this song.

‘Walk the Fleet Road’ is the ‘Well Worn Hand’ of ITLAOTE, this song is pure and wonderful with the strings and the lamenting of Tom all the way through. Simple is beauty and less is often more, something Editors show, stripping down this song to make the album end after a very interesting journey.

In This Light An On This Evening

Editors music is dark, and with the incorporation of electronic elements brings them closer to acts like Depeche Mode and Joy Division with haunting lyrics and classic songs. This album is a step in the right direction and here is another quote from Tom Smith;

“I am so fucking bored of people asking us why we’re so ‘dark’ or worse, questioning our integrity for being this way. This is how we do it, it excites us to express ourselves like this, to be honest we don’t even understand what the alternative is and the alternatives we can imagine are too boring for us to even consider.”

The quartet warned fans that they may not gain a new following, and even lose some of their deepest fans. However, in my opinion, this album brings me closer to Editors than ever. Dark emotional alternative music is what  brings me closer to the songs themselves and Editors have done a phenomenal job with this record and can only get better and better from here.

It is quality, not quantity, and this is shown through only having 9 songs on a very short record, along with putting out the music they like to make. They are not going to make a fan chosen album – this is the direction the band is taking. Dislike it if you want but this is here to stay and Editors do not care who critiques them for how they sound or the nature at which they make their music.

5/5

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