Although not in the same league as Dylan going electric, there have been a number of shifts in Editors’ style over the years. From the Joy Division-derived gloom of their debut, ‘The Back Room’, to 2015’s ‘In Dream’, where their metamorphosis into a bleak electronica band seemed complete, their transformations have occurred without too much getting left behind.
‘Violence’, the band’s sixth album, continues the evolutionary voyage, but again there are glimpses of their old selves at various points. Opener Cold fleetingly revives their shimmering guitars as Tom Smith solemnly declares “it’s a lonely life”, and it’s a classic case of old meets new.
Lead single Magazine is another to successfully bridge the gap, with its stop/start dynamics and powerful chorus likely to impress fans who have been around for the long haul as much as those who recently arrived on the scene.
The excellent Hallelujah (So Low) boasts darkly powerful electronic passages between more subtle verses, while the even better title track is one of the more obvious Depeche Mode nods on the record, but certainly not the only one. Here Smith tells of being “desperate and fearless”.
The doomy, brooding industrial sound of Counting Spooks is another that recalls the Essex legends, albeit with additional strings, but there’s also plenty more going on under the surface to reward countless listens.
The catchy Nothingness will test even the staunchest of doubters, while the serene, piano-led No Sound But The Wind offers respite from the encroaching darkness. It is like finding the calm at the eye of the storm. Best of all, though, is the epic closer Belong, which feels like a culmination of everything that’s gone before.
While it’s easy for the casual observer to dismiss Editors as Interpol understudies who have become Depeche Mode wannabes, they’ve actually carved a niche somewhere between the two that works for them. They may appear to be always the bridesmaid, never the bride, but ‘Violence’ is another very good album from a very good band, even if it isn’t the career-defining moment they are still searching for.
Editors Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Sun October 07 2018 - SOUTHAMPTON O2 Guildhall Southampton
Mon October 08 2018 - BRISTOL St Philips Gate
Tue October 09 2018 - NOTTINGHAM Rock City
Thu October 11 2018 - NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE University of Northumbria
Fri October 12 2018 - ABERDEEN Beach Ballroom
Sat October 13 2018 - GLASGOW Barrowland
Mon October 15 2018 - BELFAST Ulster Hall Belfast
Tue October 16 2018 - DUBLIN Vicar Street
Thu October 18 2018 - MANCHESTER O2 Apollo
Fri October 19 2018 - BIRMINGHAM O2 Academy Birmingham
Sat October 20 2018 - LEEDS O2 Academy Leeds
Mon October 22 2018 - NORWICH Norwich Nick Rayns LCR UEA
Tue October 23 2018 - BRIGHTON Brighton Dome
Wed October 24 2018 - LONDON O2 Academy Brixton
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