Editors – The Weight of Your Love

Hailed as the new Joy Division and likened to similar sounding bands, Editors emerged on the scene in 2005. With three albums behind them, the last of which saw them taking a darker direction, they are set to release their fourth effort The Weight of Your Love. It’s hard to make a big breakthrough, but it’s harder to be consistent and remain pivotal. This is, of course, if you want to create music to please fans and critics.

Tangents in the band’s new direction led to the departure of guitarist Chris Urbanowicz last year and the resultant musical changes probably influenced the making of the upcoming record. The Weight of Your Love is indeed different from previous LPs, remaining shadowy at times but definitely lighter in tone and less electronic. The new album makes a U-turn away from In This Light and on This Evening back to the group’s beginnings, but if it’s true that the Editors’ trademark is still there, it’s also true that there’s a general feeling the band has lost some sheen with this new material. The songs sound comprehensively less rocking, with violins and echoing voices interspersed in more than one track – even those not meant as ballads, like Honesty or the opener The Weight. The mood here and on Sugar is reminiscent of the previous album’s eerie atmosphere with bass lines and distorted guitar riffs interwoven with high-pitched piano. Soon afterwards A Ton of Love, not surprisingly chosen as the first single off the record, is typical of Editors with the catchy rhythm and melody well-integrated with Smith’s characteristic ambiguous lyrics.

However, these lyrics are perhaps not so distinctive any more; What Is This Thing Called Love is proof there is really nothing new on the horizon. The singer’s attempt to hit higher notes is also interesting but he’s still at his best when forcing out deeper vibrations.

There is the usual space for ballads like Nothing, then the record lifts spirits again with Formaldehyde and Hyena, both representative of the energetic mood that every so often charges Editors’ songs. The Phone Book is perhaps the most peculiar track, with its loopy, bluesy riffs.  

There are albums that are instantly lovable and others that need more time to be fully understood and appreciated –The Weight of Your Love is presumably one of them.

Verdict: ★★★★★

Rita Vicinanza

The Weight of Your Love is released on 1^st July 2013.

Watch the video for A Ton of Love here: