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Rating:
I'll get straight to the point: this is really beautiful.
Yes, because with this second album, the aforementioned Editors manage to engage in something more, musically, compared to their previous effort, but especially in comparison to other exponents of a musical genre that too often tends towards homogenization and repetition.
Instead, maturity is found, but with evolutionary potential, greater compositional attention, a new "epicness" in the singing and themes. Abandoning inconvenient and now languid "cousins" (see Interpol) to arduous paths of necessary renewal, the Editors carve out a precise and autonomous role in the musical landscape of the New-New Wave, if we really want to categorize; their gift is being able to convey emotions with an immediate and direct musical approach, yet never banal.
And perhaps some riffs sound similar across various songs.
And perhaps the effects on the instruments are more or less always the same.
But the melodies are robust and intense, of depth.
Uncomfortable themes: illness first and foremost; human annihilation at the arrival of manifestations of the time now past; the fall of body and spirit.
This is evident in the lyrics of the first track of the album, the wonderful "Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors", where the thought of sadness takes free rein when seeing a person ("smoker"? not necessarily), outside the hospital room door, waiting for news of an unfortunate loved one.
Or the pulsating TRACKLIST "An End Has A Start", where perhaps the same person promises the loved one not to disappoint them in support.
The anguish of losing a loved one turns into a self-destructive instinct in the song "The Racing Rats", in which a protagonist, now drunk, watches street rats chase each other to distract himself and aims to race with them.
Other episodes like "Escape The Nest" or "Spiders" are not forgotten.
More than convincing.
Mature.
Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos
01 Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors (04:57)
Pull the blindfold down
So your eyes can't see
Now run as fast as you can
Through this field of trees
Say goodbye to everyone
You have ever known
You are not gonna see them ever again
I can't shake this feeling I've got
My dirty hands, have I been in the wars?
The saddest thing that I'd ever seen
Were smokers outside the hospital doors
Someone turn me around
Can I start this again?
How can we wear our smiles
With our mouths wide shut
'Cause you stopped us from singin'
I can't shake this feeling I've got
My dirty hands, have I been in the wars?
The saddest thing that I'd ever seen
Were smokers outside the hospital doors
Someone turn me around
Can I start this again?
Now someone turn us around
Can we start this again?
We've all been changed
From what we were
Our broken hearts
Left smashed off the floor
I can't believe you
If I can't hear you
I can't believe you
If I can't hear you
We've all been changed
From what we were
Our broken hearts
Smashed off the floor
We've all been changed
From what we were
Our broken hearts
Smashed off the floor
Someone turn me around
(We've all been changed from what we were)
Can I start this again?
(Our broken hearts smashed off the floor)
Now someone turn us around
(We've all been changed from what we were)
Can we start this again?
(Our broken hearts smashed off the floor)
02 An End Has a Start (03:45)
I don’t think that it’s
Gonna rain again today
There's a devil at your side,
But an angel on the way
Someone hit the light,
Cause there's more here to be seen
When you caught my eye,
I saw everywhere I'd been
And wanna go to...
You came on your own,
And that's how you'll leave
With hope in your hands,
And air to breathe
I won’t disappoint you,
As you fall apart
Some things should be simple,
Even an end has a start
Someone hit the light,
Cause there's more here to be seen
When you caught my eye,
I saw everywhere I'd been
And wanna go to...
You came on your own,
And that's how you'll leave
With hope in your hands,
And air to breathe
You'll lose everything,
By the end,
Still my broken limbs,
You find time to mend
More and more people I
Know are getting ill
Pull something good from the
Ashes now be still
You came on your own,
That's how you'll leave
With hope in your hands,
And air to breathe,
You'll lose everything
By the end,
Still my broken limbs,
You choose to mend
You came on your own,
That's how you'll leave
You came on your own,
That's how you'll leave
You came on your own
You came on your own
03 The Weight of the World (04:18)
Keep a light on those you love
They will be there when you die
Baby there's no need to fear
Baby there's no need to cry
Every little piece in your life
Will add up to one
Every little piece in your life
Will it mean something to someone?
You fuse my broken bones
Back together and then
Lift the weight of the world
From my shoulders again
Every little piece in your life
Will add up to one
Every little piece in your life
Will it mean something to someone?
Every little piece in your life
Will add up to one
Every little piece of your life
Will mean something to someone
You touch my face
God whispers
In my ear
There are tears in my eyes
Love replaces fear
You touch my face
God whispers
In my ear
There are tears in my eyes
Love replaces fear
Fear
Every little piece in your life
Will add up to one
Every little piece in your life
Will mean something to someone
Every little piece in your life
Will add up to one
Every little piece of your life
Will mean something to someone
04 Bones (04:06)
How can you always be late for your arrival?
You know I forgive you every single time
Retreat, retreat
I've fallen at the low tide
Oh retreat, retreat
And meet me by the quayside
In the end all you can hope for
Is the love you felt to equal the pain you've gone through
Are your eyes showing off for mine
Your face in my hands is everything good I need
The system's put in place, put there to protect us
For you I'd throw a lifeline every time
Oh Retreat, retreat
I've fallen at the low tide
Now retreat, retreat
And meet me by the quayside
In the end all you can hope for
Is the love you felt to equal the pain you've gone through
Are your eyes showing off for mine
Your face in my hands is everything good I need
Bones, starved of flesh
Surround your aching heart
Full of love
Oh bones, starved of flesh
Surround your aching heart
Full of love
Bones, starved of flesh
Surround your aching heart
Bones
Oh bones
I watch as your eyes show off for mine
I watch as your eyes show off
I watch as your eyes show off for mine
I watch as your eyes show off
05 When Anger Shows (05:45)
It creeps all over you like a dull ache
Think of all the things your hands could make
It pulls you to the ground like soaking wet gloves
The change in your face when anger shows
In that moment you realise
That something you thought would always be there will die
Like everything else
These thoughts I must not think of
Dreams I cant make sense of
I need you to tell me its ok
These thoughts I must not think of
Dreams I cant make sense of
I need you to tell me its ok
You are a sleeping lion in your bed
I will not wake you
You're the moment
Love has passed
We all must learn to hate you
You're a memory from before
Please don't let me forget you
You're the wolves at my door
In that moment you realise
That something you thought would always be there will die
Like everything else
These thoughts I must not think of
Dreams I cant make sense of
I need you to tell me its ok
These thoughts I must not think of
Dreams I cant make sense of
I need you to tell me its ok
How can you know what things are worth
If your hands wont move to do a days work?
How can you know what things are worth
If your hands wont move to do a days work?
How can you know what things are worth
If your hands wont move to do a days work?
How can you know what things are worth
If your hands wont move to do a days work?
How can you know what things are worth
If your hands wont move to do a days work?
How can you know what things are worth
If your hands wont move to do a days work?
How can you know...
These thoughts I must not think of
Dreams I cant make sense of
I need you to tell me its ok
These thoughts I must not think of
Dreams I cant make sense of
I need you to tell me its ok
06 The Racing Rats (04:17)
When the time comes
You're no longer there
Fall down to my knees
Begin my nightmare
Words spill from my drunken mouth
I just can't keep them all in
I keep up with the racing rats
And do my best to win
Slow down little one
You can't keep running away
You mustn't go outside yet
It's not your time to play
Standing at the edge of your town
With the skyline in your eyes
Reaching up to God
The sun says its goodbyes
If a plane were to fall from the sky
How big a hole would it leave
In the surface of the earth
Let's pretend we never met
Let's pretend we're on our own
We live different lives
Until our covers blown
I push my hand up to the sky
Shade my eyes from the sun
As the dust settles around me
Suddenly nightime has begun
If a plane were to fall from the sky
How big a hole would it leave
In the surface of the earth
The surface of the earth
Come on now
You knew you were lost
But you carried on anyway
Oh come on now
You knew you had no time
But you let the day drift away
If a plane were to fall from the sky
How big a hole would it leave
If a plane were to fall from the sky
How big a hole would it make
In the surface of the earth
The surface of the earth x2
07 Push Your Head Towards the Air (05:44)
If I lay face
down on the ground,
would you walk all over me?
Have we learnt
What we set out to learn?
well then love we will see.
Now don't drown in your tears, babe
Push your head towards the air.
Now don't drown in your tears, babe
I will always be there.
When you fall and you,
Can't find your way,
Push a hand up to the sky.
I will run just to,
To be by your side,
Don't you ever bat an eye.
Now don't drown in your tears, babe
Push your head towards the air.
Now don't drown in your tears, babe
I will always be there
"But I will tear the price from your head,
And keep you from harm" that's what you said.
There's people climbing out of their cars
Lining the roadside,
Try to glimpse at the dead.
Now don't drown in your tears, babe
Push your head towards the air.
Now don't drown in your tears, babe
I will always be there.
08 Escape the Nest (04:43)
Buildings in clouds here
Our time and our place dear
Theres life in us yet love
These walls we will climb above
We really our ants now
Escape the nest somehow
I ache for a feeling
You came and you poured it in, it in
Buildings in clouds here
Our time and our place dear
Theres life in us yet love
These walls we will climb above, above
Look up
Through the trees to feel as small as you can
You hear the clocks counting down
The nights are longer now than ever before
But now you see the lights from the town
Im drained and im empty
Ive still got love in me
Theres eyes in the sky tonight
Watching us lose the fight
We really are ants now
Escape the nest somehow
I ache for a feeling
You came and you poured it in, it in
Look up
Through the trees to feel as small as you can
You hear the clocks counting down
The nights are longer now than ever before
But now you see the lights from the town
Look up
Through the trees to feel as small as you can
You hear the clocks counting down
The nights are longer now than ever before
But now you see the lights of the town
09 Spiders (04:00)
Theres spiders in your room
But there always will be
There's people to be fooled
And there always has been
Hold out your hand
Hold out your hand
Or we'll carry you
Hold out your hand
Hold out your hand
Come back to me
Come back to me
With your back to the wall
You've got one place to fall
Sometimes its all better (on your own?)
Every little piece pulls
In its own direction
Please love dont be scared
It's just your own reflection
Hold out your hand
Hold out your hand
Or we'll carry you
Hold out your hand
Hold out your hand
Come back to me
Come back to me
With your back to the wall
You've got one place to fall
Sometimes its all better (on your own?)
[x3]
10 Well Worn Hand (02:56)
Wake up my love
Today I heard some bad news
Just what are we all supposed to do?
I won't let them get to you
I don't want to go out on my own anymore
I cant face the night like I used to before
Take my well worn hand
Let's lock ourselves away
We'll never, ever step outside
We'll curl up in a ball and hide
I don't want to go out on my own anymore
I cant face the night like I used to before
I don't want to go out on my own anymore
I cant face the night like I used to before
I'm so sorry for the things that they've done
I'm so sorry about what we've all become
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Other reviews
By tomgil
When Anger Shows is the best track on the entire album, a perfect marriage between an inspired and melancholic melody and an engaging and fitting rock chorus.
The last track, Well Worn Hand, is two minutes of pure poetry with Smith’s voice accompanied only by piano and a slow, dreamy guitar.
By Mopaga
It’s a real shame to note that this band’s ideas are trapped in exaggerated and overused stereotypes.
‘An End Has A Start’ resembles ‘The Back Room’ which refers to Interpol’s style who are inspired by Joy Division, completing, with a bit of regret, the puzzle of references and similarities.
By popoloitaliano
"Editors are emerging new-wavers seeking success: I doubt they'll achieve it with this album!"
"When Anger Shows, the best of the album... it simply doesn't exist that they mimic Arcade Fire."
By Taurus
"An anthem of joy that explodes into a delightful chorus."
"An otherwise heterogeneous album in which each song is suited to be listened to at different times of the day."
