|  | | | Customer Reviews: | | | Average Customer Review:
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.
Editors Go Synth With Surprisingly Good Results ! Nov 20, 2009
When I first heard that Editors were putting aside their strings for keyboards, I thought two things. First, I hoped that this was not the destination for them, but rather a progression of the brilliant discography they started 5 years ago. In other words, I didn't want them to see themselves as going from Joy Division to New Order and then stopping there. They are just trying something new. The other thing I thought was, "I hope they don't embarrass themselves."
Well, they don't. They are not trying to be New Order, Depeche Mode, Kraftwerk, or any other 1980s synth-pop band. This is still an Editors album. And they don't just get through a bunch of songs without their guitars. They manage to pull off some surprises and dramatic musical departures.
The band says they had to do this in order to produce a third studio album on-time (which for them was year-end 2009). So they motivated themselves to do different things. And then they increased their chance of success by hiring Flood to produce the album. Flood's presence really makes itself felt on the fifth track, The Big Exit, which has a 'no-wave' guitar intro straight out of an early 1970s Brian Eno record (Another Green World, actually). Guitars are present from time to time on tracks like the title track, 'Papillon', 'The Boxer', 'Like Treasure', and 'Human' (on the 'Cuttings II' bonus disc), and when they are heard, they have that Flood feel to them (think 90s U2 or Smashing Pumpkins, only muted).
Listing to the album a few times through now, it occurs to me that 'Like Treasure' is the brightest song on the album, and it comes close to sounding like Coldplay without being obvious. Again, this album is full of moments like that. You know where the influences are from, but the compositions succeed in being original based on the sum of their ingredients. The Editors take bits and pieces of 30 years of UK rock and make it all their own.
This is a solid album for Editors, no less enjoyable or interesting than their previous two. But certainly different. Apparently they want to work with Flood again, so we shouldn't be surprised if their next album in 2011 or 2012 is also synth-dominated.
Overall, this is a slightly darker album for Editors (keep in mind their first two were fairly dark to begin with). It is meant to be a late night London album - a simple but appropriate theme for them. Subtle and direct references to London appear throughout and are both highlighted and bookended by the opening and closing tracks. I think theme-wise, the ordering of the tracks couldn't be more perfect. Editors seemed to have sweated the details because they care about what an album is supposed to be. Dying medium or not, Editors are committed to making good albums.
Perhaps the band had to go this route. They did it not only to prove they are capable of setting a new goal and achieving it - but to prove that they are going to be with us for a while. If they reach a fifth album, and bring back their trademark distorted rhythm guitars, they will have completed a 10-year cycle most other bands fail to achieve.
The Editors always seem tip their hats to greater artists that have come before (mainly the giants of the 80s New Wave). But with each full album, they are becoming great themselves. Let's see where they go next.
 It's the Editors Nov 15, 2009
Boy, talk about challenges: The Editors is bombarded with comparisons to bands both new and old (Interpol and Joy Division) based on their first two albums. Now The Editors try something a bit different from those two albums and people are reacting as if the ship sank. Can't please everyone all the time I guess...
The album is good. Yes I was taken aback by the heavy electronic presence. While I'm a big fan of guitar-based rock, I can see how this is a natural extension of the Editors' sound. Let's face it --their use of instruments is close to a pulsing, mechanical sound than not. They are not known for riffs, they are known for rhythm. There are numerous tracks on their old albums where much of the guitar could be swapped for electronic elements and you'd hardly notice.
Again, at first listen I was kinda thinking "...What?". But after a few listens you feel The Editors (albeit a little dark --not that it's a bad thing.)
And I like the lyrics. They are kind of weird and as such lend to a unique identity for the band. Again, if there are so many comparisons to pre-existing bands, it's great that they are going off into their own world. More power to them --Editors keep it up.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Worth it! Nov 11, 2009
Yeah, it's a little different from the previous releases, get over it. Been listening to it over and over, same as I did with the previous albums.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Different does not mean worse Nov 10, 2009
Many people don't like this album simply because this is not the Editors, which were in the first two albums. That's true - they have changed. A lot of synth. Mainly synth.
It is natural that people who liked Editors because of the first two albums would like something very similar to those. On the other hand, if this album had been released by Teditors or Ditors, I have no doubt that this album would have been rated at least 4,5 stars. What people have to do is to accept that bands change and try listening to the "new" music. So I'm saying that this album is unfairly underrated. Is it because music is poor? No.
It is funny how the Killers sold so many copies of their newest release and the Editors didn't. Both bands added a lot of synth sound into their music. And you know what? Editors did it better. The new Editors sound captures the depressing fall, is melodic, catchy and fresh. What else - it's not boring. Every song in a way is same and at once very different from each other. The mood, temper and atmosphere keeps varying and though still deep and captivating.
Key tracks:
- Papillon
- The Big Exit
- Like Treasure
- Eat Raw Meat = Blood Drool
- Walk The Fleet Road
0 of 2 found the following review helpful:
 A Drastic Turn For the Worst Nov 09, 2009
For much of the 21st Century, it seemed as though Editors and Interpol would compete for the title of "The New Joy Division." Although Interpol took the early lead by releasing their debut album three years before Editors, Editors have done an excellent job keeping pace while remaining just different enough to draw more comparisons to Joy Division than to the band they were competing with for the illustrious title.
With their third album, Editors seem to have found the key to winning the coveted "New Joy Division" crown by leaving the guitars behind and working on their synthesized New Order sound. While New Order only maintained two of the original Joy Division members, Editors have made the progression with the original band intact.
The album opens with just synthesizer and droning vocals courtesy of lead singer Tom Smith. If the vocals were taken away, I would have thought I was listening to the soundtrack for Scarface, but finally, two minutes and forty-eight seconds later, Editors finally reward patient listeners with a minute of instrumental chaos that is truly one of the best parts of the entire album.
For the next track, Editors utilized a drum machine to lay the groundwork for a track that continues to add instruments as the song progresses, including real drums a little over a minute in. This formula has worked well for bands like Depeche Mode and She Wants Revenge, and for the first third of In This Light and On This Evening, it works for Editors too. However, after "Papillon" introduces Editors as the next truly club worthy artist, the album takes a steep decline. In fact, the only interesting track after the first three is the Radiohead-esque "Eat Raw Meat = Blood Drool" which I can only hope is a hint of things to come for Editors as opposed to a filler track experiment.
There are some brilliant points on this album, but they are quickly overshadowed by the weaknesses heard in tracks like "The Big Exit" where Editors failed to reach the creativity or originality limits New Order was constantly pushing. Editors will most likely lose a great deal of their casual fans with this release, but could catch a few new ones as well with their new direction. Some critics have called this the best release of 2009, but I think most people familiar with the band's earlier work will agree that the new direction taken by Editors is ultimately a wrong turn.
Similar Artists: Joy Division, New Order, Depeche Mode
Track Suggestion: Papillon
|
| |
|
![Up (4 Disc Combo Pack with Digital Copy and DVD) [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51V%2Beipy8-L._SL75_.jpg "Up (4 Disc Combo Pack with Digital Copy and DVD) [Blu-ray]")
![Across the Universe [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51T24FuHPEL._SL75_.jpg "Across the Universe [Blu-ray]")
![Underworld Trilogy (Underworld / Underworld: Evolution / Underworld: Rise of the Lycans) [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51F27VzUl%2BL._SL75_.jpg "Underworld Trilogy (Underworld / Underworld: Evolution / Underworld: Rise of the Lycans) [Blu-ray]")
![Shakira: Oral Fixation Tour [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51RQUEopdlL._SL75_.jpg "Shakira: Oral Fixation Tour [Blu-ray]")
