The Back Room (studio album) by Editors

Very similar sound and feel right through this. Not that that's bad, it all flows very nicely. Just doesn't vary much.

Great band, seem to be continually underrated and overlooked. They sound like Interpol, but better! This is their best album. My highlights are Munich and Bullets. Weakest tracks are Camera and Distance.

1. 90
2. 100
3. 100
4. 85
5. 100
6. 65
7. 80
8. 90
9. 60
10. 70
11. 50

As part of the early 2000s post-punk wave, English band Editors take that dark melodic rock sound made famous by bands such as Joy Division, Echo and the Bunnymen and later Interpol and White Lies, and fully embrace the typical sound of the genre while giving their music a noticeably English touch. Dark and mature themes are mixed with a distinct beat and weeping guitars to form emotional walls of sound. But there's more to this album than simply that. Editors also prove to be able to vary their musical output and offers surprisingly upbeat tracks ("Blood", "All Sparks"), headed by hooky guitar riffs and memorable choruses.

Back Room also largely avoids the usual problem of post-punk records sounding too similar and dragging out unnecessarily by the end. By shifting from raw, energetic tracks like "Fingers in the Factories" to slow, quiet and vulnerable songs such as "Fall", Editors keep the listener engaged throughout the entire LP.

That's not to say there aren't more generic tracks in here. Songs such as "Camera" and "Someone Says" have their moments but disappear into obscurity fairly quickly. Despite their unique touch to the standout songs on the album, there is so much here that is so stereotypical for the genre that the band, unfortunately, doesn't stand out quite as well as some other bands (such as White Lies).

Pretty consistent album. I think it lacks a killer track, but it's nice to listen from start to finish. If you like Interpol you have to check it out

Best tracks: Lights, Munich, All Sparks, Blood, Bullets

From SuedeSwede 08/24/2013 22:14

Post-punky and melancholic, massive influences from Joy Division and Interpol, but with their own little touch. I used to put 'Blood' on repeat when I was younger, always had a soft spot for that song and I don't really know why.

Key tracks: Blood, Munich, Camera
Key lyric: 'This wicked city just drags you down, you're with the red lights, your side of town.'

The wunderkind of the 2005-2007 "indie" burst. Used to get NME as much as I can between those years. These lot had some exceptional singles from this and earned quite the reputation. Sucess was well deserved.

From Secondsoul 12/17/2012 14:01

This is an incredible album. Every track is top notch. Amazed that this is not rated higher on this site than it is. Interpol would have loved to have made this album!