In This Light And On This Evening

Editors are something of an enigma for me. I profess, I’ve never been an avid fan of Editors, pigeon-holing them as a small time indie band, lauded with the admiration of swathes of ‘hip’ indie scenesters who have some blind obsession with ‘underground music’. I really couldn’t have got it more wrong. I somehow remained totally oblivious to the fact they have achieved notable commercial success (An End Has a Start reaching number 1) yet are simultaneously the disdain of many indie music journalists. It seems slightly backwards a band more akin to Joy Division enjoy commercial plaudits but are crucified by indie elitists.

One thing my limited musical intellect did pick up on during the first listen was the stark difference in musical style which Editors have embarked on with their third album. Gone are the fast paced guitars, catchy hooks and anthemic choruses you might have associated with singles such as ‘Munich’ and ‘The Racing Rats’, replaced in contrast by synthesizers galore. Editors enthusiasts can relax however, the band remain as melancholic as ever and in fact the change itself deserves real credit. Successful bands too often remain stuck in a musical rut when they find a formula that sells. Editors have bravely tinkered and tested something different and, fortunately for them, it has paid dividends.

The album kicks off with the gloomy title track. A mix of atmospheric synths with some typical fraught vocals entangles to create a track oozing emotion; it’s probably the perfect way to open an album. What begins as a basic bass driven song gradually develops into a sonic masterpiece accompanied with captivating lyrical imagery. Whilst perhaps the album doesn’t quite fulfil the promise of the opening track as such, much of the album offers the listener a rewarding experience. ‘Bricks and Mortar’ offers something more akin to what Editors fans may have expected. Surrounding the new instrumentation is a sense of familiarity, a similar song structure to Editors singles of old. The clash of new and old is a notable success and makes for the catchiest track on the album. ‘Papillon’ feels like you’ve been teleported into some cheesy 80’s sci-fi, action film. Against all my initial misgivings, ‘Papillon’ ends up a barnstorming success. The layered synths are memorable and the beat leaves you involuntarily tapping away like a madman. ‘You Don’t Know Love’ is in a similar vein. Very 80’s, maybe even resembling tracks from the Killers Hot Fuss album; it’s a synth laden pop success; definitely a possibility for the next single. The album ends as it began; ‘Walk the Fleet Road’ is outstanding. More stripped down than any of the tracks that precede it, it combines soulful Bon Iver-esque harmonies with just enough electronic tinkering to produce something memorable and meaningful.

Whilst In the Light and On this Evening boasts some truly excellent electronic tracks; dotted throughout are some absolute stinkers. I really don’t know what to make of ‘The Big Exit’. It flickers between the dark, gloomy Editors witnessed on other tracks and some awful 80’s pop b-side. The dramatic shift fails to materialise anything of worth and I found myself actually cringing my way through the 4 minutes 46 seconds. My distaste for ‘The Boxer’ is nowhere near as vehement as ‘The Big Exit’ but still it degrades the value of the album. Intuition suggests a slow paced electronic dirge is not what the Editors intended and that spurs frustration. The instrumentation behind ‘The Boxer’ is intriguing and eclectic; used more wisely it evidently could have created something much more notable.

Coming to this album without the knowledge of the division in the world of musical opinion a mention of Editors provokes and with little familiarity with their back catalogue has resulted in a more objective reviewing experience. ‘In the Light and On this Evening’ judged as a standalone album is impressive, but in a subtle manner. On the first listen you would be forgiven for labelling it as mediocre and casting it to one side. However, devote a few more listens and a extraordinary album shines through. Sure, it’s a little rough in places but the likes of ‘You Don’t Know Love’ and ‘Walk the Fleet Road’ make up for the odd lyrical mishap and moments of electronica induced boredom.