#10: Editors - The Back Room/Cuttings (2005)

The Back Room:

1. Lights
2. Munich
3. Blood
4. Fall
5. All Sparks
6. Camera
7. Fingers In The Factories
8. Bullets
9. Someone Says
10. Open Your Arms
11. Distance

Cuttings:

1. Let Your Good Heart Lead You Home
2. You Are Fading
3. Crawl Down The Wall
4. Colours
5. Release
6. Forest Fire

I won't beat about the bush: This is one of my favourite albums, full stop. Anyone who knows me will know of my love for Editors, a band who are important to me both musically and personally, so yes, this will probably turn out to be a bit gushing. I wouldn't normally cover bonus disc material, but in this case I feel like the 6-song collection that accompanied the limited edition of the album not only compliments the main album superbly, but stands up as a mini-album in its own right. In fact, it was so important that I own the two-disc set that I was compelled to buy a replacement copy after my brother lent it to a friend and never got it back (of all the CDs he could've lost...) - if you haven't heard it, then I'd absolutely recommend you get hold of the tracks somehow. And if you haven't heard this album at all... I'd say you're in for a treat - but then, of course I would. And go see them live too: They're even better than on record.

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Although they're often weighed down by inevitable comparisons to certain other bands that I probably don't even need to mention, in my opinion Editors can stand up as a great band in their own right. Their 2005 debut album, The Back Room, amply demonstrates what they are capable of, and then some.

The album jumps into things immediately with 'Lights', a frantic two an a half minutes that serve as a great introduction to Editors' sound: Powerful drumming and effects-laden guitars that provide a shimmering backdrop to Tom Smith's arresting baritone as he proclaims "If fortune favours the brave, I am as poor, poor as they come." 

The album continues with further examples of this sound. 'Munich' and 'Blood' are each built around an infectious post-punk riff and an instantly memorable chorus hook: 'Munich' warns that "People are fragile things, you should know by now: Be careful what you put them through," while 'Blood' seethes with malice for a former friend or lover "Blood runs through your veins: That's where our similarity ends." It's this lyrical darkness that combines with the soaring guitars to make Editors such an intriguing proposition: Gloomily oppressive, yet at the same time oddly uplifting.

Critics of Editors' sound often falsely assume that the band are a one-trick pony, but they definitely have other cards up their sleeve. After the frantic pace of the first three tracks, 'Fall' demonstrates a more contemplative side, with the shimmering guitar effects sounding just as good when the band slow down the pace, and Tom's vocals sounding more thoughtful as he sings "I wanted to see this for myself." This style is continued on album centrepiece 'Camera', which begins with little more than a ghostly keyboard line before building up to an absolutely epic crescendo as the lyrics achingly ask "Look at us through the lens of a camera: Does it remove all of our pain?"

Elsewhere, 'All Sparks' combines a mid-tempo drive with a the message that "All sparks will burn out in the end" - a statement that could either be taken as a message of hope, or one of disappointment. 'Someone Says', returns to the crashing intensity of the opening three tracks, with the guitars taking on a minor key tone while the lyrics add to the sense of urgency: "I've got so much to tell you in so little time," intones Smith, as the song rushes towards its conclusion.

Even amongst all the doom and gloom, Editors can still pull off moments of euphoria. 'Fingers In The Factories' is a fists-in-the-air triumph that feels like a rousing rallying cry, while 'Bullets' is still one of the most emotionally charged three minutes of music I've ever heard. "You don't need this disease: Not right now," pleads Smith with a tear-stained hopefulness, before the guitars outdo themselves by soaring to ever greater heights as he repeats the refrain over and over, and you almost believe it more every time it's uttered from his mouth.

The album's most epic moment, however, comes with 'Open Your Arms'. It combines the best bits of everything that comes before it: The epicness of 'Camera', the heartfelt vocals of 'Bullets' and of course those sparkling guitars all combine in a massive wall of sound finale that eventually breaks down into minimal, ethereal album closer 'Distance'.  It's oddly downbeat seems like a strange way to end such a high energy album, and yet it contains a little bit of hope: "I wish you all the best," is the earnest send-off from Smith, before the song shimmers and fades out of existence.

This fade-out works rather well to lead us into Cuttings, with 'Let Your Good Heart Lead You Home' starting out with a stripped-down guitar line before breaking into a crashing drumbeat that pounds relentlessly as the guitars build up around it. 'You Are Fading' follows much the same pattern, with Tom's melancholy vocals once again contrasting with the huge-sounding instrumentation.

'Crawl Down The Wall', meanwhile, sees him scraping himself from the depths of despair and contains one of my favourite choruses in any Editors song: "We'll see how this goes, we'll pull love from our lows," is just a perfect mix of confusion, desperation and hope. In contrast, 'Colours' feels like one of the band's poppier moments, seeming very upbeat compared to a lot of their other songs. It's a love song, but possibly an uncertain one: The lyrics contain mixed messages, with Tom telling his love that "You mean a lot to me, you've got a heart of gold," before telling her to "Fill your life with something else baby."

'Release' once again sees the band outdoing themselves in the epic stakes: It just sounds so massive that it's impossible not to be overwhelmed, and the simple, repeated refrain of "Release, find your peace my love," builds with a fervour that matches the rest of the song. Finally, in much the same way that 'Distance' provides a serene finale after 'Open Your Arms', 'Forest Fire' sits beautifully after the epic intensity of 'Release', once again ending proceedings with a message of hope: "I'll miss this when it's gone, let's not waste life, come on."

Overall, The Back Room and Cuttings are great records simply because of the level of intensity and emotion that they generate. Some may have tired of Editors in the years since this album's release, but not me: The same things still get me every time, whether it be the lyrics or that characteristically electrifying guitar tone. For people who judged the band purely on the singles, I can only encourage you to check out the rest of their material and see that there is a level of depth to this band beyond their (admittedly brilliant) dark and angular post-punk style. For those who are already converted, dig this album out again and stick it on - you owe it to yourself to get reacquainted with it.

(P.S: If that's not quite enough Editors for you, there's great depth in their B-sides beyond those included on Cuttings. I've gone on enough, but to throw some names out there: 'Find Yourself A Safe Place', 'Come Share The View', 'Heads In Bags' and their cover of Stereolab's 'French Disko' are particular highlights.)