Editors
An End Has A Start

Two years after their debut album, the Editors return to the English scene with an album that shows an evolution from the sounds that characterized the previous "The Back Room." It must be said straight away that, considering the general euphoria that always erupts in England as soon as any band releases a decent single, in their case, the praise of critics has proven to be spot on; there were those who predicted, long before, that these four musicians from Birmingham would find their own path. And so it was.

Now, a preamble is necessary. When faced with an album like "An End Has A Start," one must first ask, even if the album is liked, how much of it is authentic. For instance, today even those who pose as depressed singer-songwriters or serious and melancholic musicians (and there are hundreds of such bands) do so just to access a world that has little or nothing genuinely depressed (showbiz), in the case of the Editors it is then legitimate to ask how sincerely sad the melodies are and how much of it is (commercially) calculated.

Listening to the words of Tom Smith, the singer and main composer of the tracks, the lyrics and atmospheres were influenced by the death of some people close to him; these events, far from being judged objectively, undoubtedly have the merit of lending authenticity to the album's concept. The opening track "Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors" immediately showcases a mature band, capable of transitioning from a successful intro of vocals, drums, and piano to the classic guitar riff we have become accustomed to hearing since the first singles from the previous album. The song is among the best, demonstrated by passages where rock moments alternate with slow and melancholic bridges, with a chorus at the end; it was chosen as the first single probably to display the evident evolution from "The Back Room." The second track is the title track, "An End Has a Start," probably one of the best rock tracks of 2007, with Tom Smith's singing (one of the most interesting and distinctive voices in the entire English rock scene, rightly compared to Ian Curtis) gaining more power and aggression, perfect for embodying the song's energy. The third track is "The Weight of the World," one of the saddest and deepest songs ever penned by a band facing their second album in the 2000s. In terms of lyrics, it is the most mature and expressive. Four minutes and twenty seconds of pure poetry, with violins accompanying Smith’s dreamy voice in the bridge, which alone is worth the entire song. Following is "Bones," a rock track that is closest to the singles from the previous album; its pace is reminiscent of "Fingers in the Factories," one of the most convincing tracks of "The Back Room." Unfortunately, when compared to what has been previously exposed, it sounds somewhat déjà vu.

"When Anger Shows" is instead the best track on the entire album, a perfect marriage between an inspired and melancholic melody and an engaging and fitting rock chorus, all accompanied by a perfect arrangement, with Ed Lay's drums intelligently marking the rhythmic evolution of the piece, and Chris Urbanowicz's vibrato perfectly supporting Smith's voice. The song also stands out for its excellent lyrics. The subsequent "The Racing Rats" balances between piano and voice, convincing in its progression and strengthened by the perfect melody that reaches its peak in the chorus. The guitar carves out perfect riffs once more but fails to blossom into a true solo, a limitation that could have been avoided with a bit more ambition. A few seconds of silence precede the slow "Put Your Head Towards the Air," a semi-acoustic ballad where piano and guitar accompany the distant echoes of organ and violins; the song stands out as the guitar never bursts forth, and the piece's rhythm remains predominantly calm. The influences many have noted, especially with the Interpol, are notably less evident, and even ambitious pieces like this become decidedly more personal, bearing a fairly evident personal stamp. "Escape the Nest" is another rock track structured similarly to "Bones," with a catchy chorus and another repeated riff played with vehemence. The echoes of "Spiders" recall an almost Radiohead-like sound; once again, the presence of a piano is undeniably beneficial in elevating the level of almost all the tracks.

The voices that saw the Editors moving towards a "Coldplay-like sound" are understandable, although fortunately for them, the resemblance remains minimal, and atmospherically speaking, the four from Birmingham are mainly positioning themselves towards the first and best album of Chris Martin's band, quite dark for more alternative listeners. As mentioned, it remains to be established how sincere all this is. The last track of the album is also the most touching. Just two minutes for "Well Worn Hand", but they are two minutes of pure poetry with Smith’s voice accompanied only by piano and a slow, dreamy guitar. A sad and deeply emotional song, where Smith perhaps reaches his interpretive peak, giving the track an indelible imprint that perfectly combines lyrics and melody. If once again lyrically the theme of detachment, death, and thus change recurs, the entire album's concept finds its worthy conclusion in the final verses.

An engaging album, therefore, that clearly aims to conquer the top of European charts while also conveying authentic and sincere emotions despite everything; these are conflicting objectives, but clearly evident from the alternation of catchy and commercial tracks with ballads and rock songs capable of exploring less direct and easy atmospheres, more dark and somehow more alternative. An album that demonstrates all the potential of a band that will soon be called to choose which direction to truly orient their music: whether towards the flatness of the mainstream or the ambitious and challenging path presented to those who truly seek to honor rock, as Editors with this "An End Has A Start" have probably done.