By Jack
Birmingham’s adopted indie-rockers Editors have a new album on the way – and a new single ‘Magazine’ out now. You can read our thoughts on that track here, but for now, here are Editors’ five greatest tracks.
A few advisory notices. These tracks are creamed from the first three albums – a deliberate choice. The Weight of Love and IN DREAM were enjoyable, but can’t quite beat out the quality of those early recordings – though ‘Sugar’ did come close. Once more, ‘Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors’ is not on this list. Certainly a solid song and their biggest hit, but it has never stood head-to-toe with their best. With that out of the way…
5. The Racing Rats
Editors may write music for indie weirdos, but they still bear the marks of the club circuit that made them. Nowhere is this more apparent than here. Bizarre gothic lyricism paired with a pub ready beat. A little clunky, but sets out to be exhilarating – and achieves that. Would blow the lid off The Firkin that’s for sure.
4. Papillon
A little stiff, but the strength of the drum machine and synth riff is enough to see them through. Singer Tom Smith goes full Dave Gahan, complete with the hammiest lyrics of their career. Also entirely thrilling.
3. Munich
Was on a Fifa soundtrack, but don’t hold that against it. The riff perfectly captures the Edge-with-crack-shakes guitar tone that would go on to define their sound. Great chorus and punchy middle-eight round off a highlight of the 00’s indie-rock scene.
2. An End Has a Start
Comes within a hair of being their best song. Brutal stomp of kick drum and soaring synthesised chorale segue into a powerful riff. At once ethereal and gritty – it’s the best riff Chris Urbanowicz every gave us. Providing uplift and moshable pace all in one, ‘An End Has a Start’ is criminally underrated.
1. Blood
The Back Room was a remarkably sharp, incisive album – and ‘Blood’ was Editors honed to their sharpest. Every single element of the song is pure perfection – jagged riff, chugging bass and a fantastic beat that ratchets between indie-rock stomp to skittering dance beats through the chorus.
And if the doom and gloom is too much for you – there’s a cowbell in the mix. Finally a chorus that showcases the brutalist poetry of Smith perfectly: “Blood runs through your veins / That’s where our similarity ends“.
Photo credit: indiespot
