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Editors, "An End Has a Start"

Gloomy Brit rockers leave Interpol comparisons in the dust

By Kirk Miller, Metromix

July 17, 2007

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Backstory: Birmingham, England's own Editors carved out a niche on this side of the Atlantic with the 2005 debut "The Back Room," which shared a similar love of gloom and drone with Interpol (not to mention some sonic similarities with Joy Division). But apparently sounding like someone else wasn't enough—for follow-up record, "An End Has a Start," the band has ambitiously revamped its musical vocabulary. They're certainly thinking big…

Why you should care: "An End" piles on the sounds, from a wall of guitar reverb swallowing up "Push Your Head" to orchestral flourishes populating the first single, "Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors." Even though the record sounds huge, there are softer moments here, where murmurs of electronic beats and pianos sneak on through and provide some texture. Vocalist Tom Smith accentuates this wave of noise perfectly, keeping his emotions sounding grand and morose ("I'm so sorry about what we've all become").

Verdict: "An End" is loud and dynamic, and offers up passion in place of empty proclamations and detachment (yes, that's you, Interpol).

X-Factor: It's not on this record, but do hunt down the band's rather downbeat take on R.E.M.'s "Orange Crush," which is floating around the Internet.