Front cover of ‘In Dream’

by Matthew Langham

Editors, those hardy survivors of the post-punk revival in British music over a decade ago, have endured a rough ride since the departure of their ex-guitarist Chris Urbanowicz who left due to a change in musical direction following their move away from atmospheric guitar pop on 2005’s The Back Room and its heavier-than-hell successor An End Has A Start. Since then, they diversified on the uneven In This Light And On This Evening which was produced by Flood in 2009 and saw heavier use of synths, whilst 2013’s derided The Weight Of Your Love was a failed attempt to translate R.E.M. and Arcade Fire, and was their first record not to reach the Top Five. Apart from the track ‘A Ton Of Love’ their most recent material felt mediocre in comparison to their explosive early singles including ‘Bullets’ and ‘Munich’.

Editors are a band that have just about managed to consistently cling on, and whilst they aren’t as popular in the UK as they once were, further afield in Europe they still attract huge crowds. In Dream is their first self-produced record, and is pristine throughout and the vocals from lead singer Tom Smith seem deeper and more operatic than they once were. Basically, it sounds like Editors, and whether you like anything they’ve done before will determine your enjoyment of it. ‘No Harm’ is perhaps their darkest track to date and has a dreamy, electronic soundscape, whilst Slowdive’s Rachel Goswell adds an extra element of mystery alongside Smith on ‘The Law’.

‘Forgiveness’ is a dystopian synth-led track with layered vocals from Smith, but it feels like Editors in default mode. Lead single ‘Life Is A Fear’ has a Gary Numan quality with mechanical rhythms and synths, boosted by a soaring chorus. ‘All The Kings’ relies on an Annie Lennox ‘Walking On Broken Glass’-style pulse which highlight Smith’s impressive baritone, and the range he can achieve within that. Whilst this record finds a great deal of consistency in comparison to its predecessor The Weight Of Your Love, strangely it’s the monotonous delivery which makes it ultimately unremarkable. Editors, in a way, are damned if they do and damned if they don’t. The subdued nature of their records, both past and present, has made it hard for them to achieve stability with commercial success in the UK. It’s patently obvious why the Teutonic-influenced, industrial sound is so appealing to the Dutch and German market.

While it has its share of highlights, particularly ‘All The Kings’ and ‘At All Cost’ and comes across as ambitious in its scope, but ultimately In Dream lacks in delivery department. Whilst they have tried to create something big and orchestral, it only comes across in patches which lacks reward for the listener. Ultimately, it is likely to only appeal to their not inconsiderable fanbase. (6/10)

Listen to In Dream here!