Just the Beginning: "An End Has a Start"

A couple days ago in my other blog, I mentioned the new(ish) Arcade Fire album Neon Bible. I bought it about a week and a half ago, and it's pretty good. And though I listened to it a lot those first few days, and generally approved, I haven't been listening to it lately. I need to get back into it, as it actually is very good. But I haven't been listening to Arcade Fire these past few days because I've been preoccupied with another band.

Now, this is a band that I've talked about before, and if you look in the archives, you'll find a review of their first album. So this band isn't a new find. But for about a week now, UK rockers Editors have been occupying my time.
I listen to them every once in a while, when I remember them, and I always enjoy them. Their first album was pretty top notch (as I described a few months ago). But something brought them up a couple weeks ago, and I haven't been able to get them out of my mind. I started listening to their first album, The Back Room, a lot, and, naturally, that led to my looking them up online.

I knew they had a new album coming out (An End Has a Start), but it hadn't been released in the US yet (release date is set for July 17, 2007). But I really wanted to hear this new creation. I considered downloading it from UK sites, but the conversion rate is a bitch, and I don't know if I trust overseas buying with my credit card (especially since I don't even like to use the card here in the US). But so after much mental debate I got a friend to find it for me. I know, I really hate this kind of stuff, but I'll make it up and actually buy the album when it comes out.

Because, really -- Holy Jesus. I'm listening to this song called "Escape The Nest" right now. It's track number 8 on the new album, if my data is correct, and my God this stuff is great. If you're a loyal reader, which I suspect you either 1) are, because why else would you be reading this?; or 2) are not, because why else would you be reading this?, you'll remember that in my first Editors review, I called their music something along the lines of "rock the way it's supposed to be."

Pretty much. It's hard, it's heavy, it's moving, it's even got screaming guitars. This urgency, this whimsical yet tough feel that this song oozes is... magnificent. I can't think of any other word to describe this sound (though, in my defense, it is 2:15am). It's exciting and even has a guitar shrieking out eight notes (and then, Sweet Jesus, are those sixteenth notes? My ears cannot discern). It has the kind of beat that infects your body. Your brain can't ignore it, and you find yourself two notches away from stomping your foot along with it.

Of course, it's not all fast paced; Editors have depth, too. The song just before this one is slower, calmer, more tender. "Don't drown in your tears, babe/ push your head towards the air/ now don't drown in your tears, babe/ I will always be there" lead singer Tom Smith (a nice young, almost baby face with an impossibly deep, brooding voice) croons over an dreamlike pulsing piano and strumming guitar in the track aptly named "Push Your Head Towards the Air." So far, it's my favorite track on the album. Silly sounding name aside, the steady rocking of the beat, the words flow to meet the tempo is almost enough to produce tears. Now, I'm not saying it's the most beautiful song in the world, or even the best, but I still think it's pretty damn good. It's definitely worth a listen or 50.

As is the entire album. When this thing hits the US in 13 days, I suggest you go pick yourself up a copy. I don't think you'll be disappointed. I wasn't.

And I can be hard to please.

Notable Tracks: #1 "Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors"; #2 "An End Has A Start"; #7 "Push Your Head Towards The Air"; #8 "Escape The Nest".


(Author's note: also in that first review, I mentioned the level of energy emenating from the songs. I mentioned that I can only imagine what the live shows are like. Well, turns out I will find out Sept. 7, 2007.)