UK alt rockers Editors are due to release their fifth studio album In Dream on October 2nd, which lead singer Tom Smith has described as “the sound of us learning to walk again”, potentially a comparison to their 2013 release The Weight Of Your Love which was received with quite mixed reviews and felt a bit left field and out of skew for the band, an album which I personally was not fond of.
I’ve been an Editors fan since their first album The Back Room in 2005, which was a huge part of my formative teenage years and I’ll unashamedly admit that they made frequent appearances as my myspace song (for those playing at home, myspace was a place before Facebook where you could customise your page with a song that played as people clicked through to you, a reference that perhaps shows my age a little – yikes!)
Moving past my nostalgia, what we have is a beautifully crafted and cohesive album that you can listen to from start to finish as it weaves it’s magic of dreaming through your ears and into your mind. Without a doubt, a massive side step from The Weight Of Your Love, and a welcome one at that.
The album starts with slow burning howler ‘No Harm’ which creates a slow build into the album, and actually into my favourite track ‘Ocean Of The Night’ which features Slowdive’s Rachel Goswell as a haunting siren in the background. My prediction is that this will be the single track and probably biggest hit from the entire album.
We go through a few dreamy type of songs and then hit 80’s pop synth sounding ‘Life Is A Fear’, which really lifts the mood a bit, however seems a bit misplaced if I’m being honest. Enjoyable still, but not in tune with the remainder of the album.
‘The Law’ see’s the return of Rachel Goswell and teamed up with Tom Smith, equals a beautiful duet at the heart and soul of the album.
A second potential single in ‘Our Love’, however it lacks a similar punchy vibe that ‘Ocean Of The Night’ perfectly encapsulated.
Last but not least we finish on ‘Marching Orders’, an uplifting and almost 8-minute addition to the album, the longest track the band has ever recorded in fact! The absolute perfect end to the album and is lifts out of the darkness and provides a soft, light landing for listeners.
It’s hard not to draw comparisons to The Back Room or even An End Has A Start, but doing so is not an insult to the lads. A very thorough an enjoyable listen. Something that definitely will get a repeat in the Renee library.
Rating: ★★★★
In Dream will hit the stores on October 2nd – pre-order your copy now from iTunes
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