Editors, ‘The Back Room’
By user • Mar 28th, 2006 • Category: Album Reviews
When Editors’ frontman Tom Smith sings, “Blood runs through our veins / That’s where our similarity ends,” he is certainly not talking about Interpol’s Paul Banks.
In fact, the vocalists sound so identical, they may have the same blood running through their veins. The two share a bellowing, despondent voice that is so morosely haunting it makes the tales of urban decay and personal turmoil undeniably engaging.
Yet the blood in their veins — and notes in their vocal chords — are far from the end of the similarities. Both New York’s Interpol and England’s Editors are invested equally in the legacy — the look, demeanor, musical stylings and general esthetic — of Joy Division. But whereas Interpol makes no attempt to mask its Joy Division allegiance, Editors works in several post-punk influences.
From the sonic guitars of early-era U2 (“Lights”) to the patient while urgent percussion of Bauhaus (“All Sparks”) and the moody atmosphere of Echo & the Bunnymen (“Camera”) the Birmingham quartet shows its true colors — dark and mysterious. Yet it would be foolish to ignore the band’s striking resemblance to Joy Division’s sparse sounds and sturdily monotone vocals, much like it would be foolish to assume Editors mimics Interpol.
The two bands formed simultaneously on separate continents. And Interpol’s recent success is hardly grounds to assume Editors heard the New Yorkers, were inspired to start a band, wrote an album’s worth of material, signed a record deal and internationally distributed the release in just a few years. What it is fair to assume, however, is Joy Division’s growing legacy is more prevalent now than ever before. And Editors — much like its comrades in post-punk arms, Interpol — learned from the best.
And though blood no longer flows through Ian Curtis’ veins, it does in Smith and Banks.
Which for now, sounds just right.
Northern Star, March 28, 2006
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