editors - an end has a start

Radiohead may have achieved wonders in refusing to merely release a ‘Bends Part Two’, and instead spewing out the spectacular other-worldliness of ‘OK Computer’, but this doesn’t mean that all bands should be shy of further establishing the foothold that gave them their success in the first place. Editors have plenty of time ahead of them for their sound to evolve; for now, we should be glad that they’re clearly the best band of their generation at producing soundscapes of desolation that are also catchy enough to feature on Radio 1. ‘The Racing Rats’ is just one of a few perfect examples of this on their new album. Surprise surprise, there is no sign of them producing a latter-day ‘Shiny Happy People’ just yet. In the likes of ‘Bones’ and lead single ‘Smokers At The Hospital Doors’, the quartet who met at Staffordshire University continue to play to their main strength: firing out chiming daggers of guitar resonance that only gleam all the more poignantly through the production work of Jacknife Lee. And, of course, for all the sense of desperation in their music, there’s still that all important hint of hope lurking somewhere, as Smith reassures us that ‘Every little piece of your life will mean something to someone’ in ‘The Weight of the World’. The suspicion remains that Editors are not quite as proficient at moments of slower pace, and compared to their debut LP ‘The Back Room’, there are perhaps a few less songs that would be classed as absolute stonkers. Nevertheless, as comebacks go, ‘An End Has A Start’ will certainly do nicely.