Birmingham foursome Editors attempt to build on the success of 2007's An End Has A Start by making an album completely unlike its predecessor. Full of explorative and experimental electro-synth and heart-thumping beats, In This Light and On This Evening attempts to further diversify Editors sound. Diversify they certainly have - but how much is too much?
The title track of Editors' third album In This Light and On This Evening begins interestingly enough, revealing a tonal shift from the Birmingham quartet's previous work. Singer Tom Smith spits out monotone lyrics over an antsy synth beat which, while interesting at first, ultimately goes nowhere - a feature symptomatic of the album as a whole. It isn't until third track Papillon that they really kick into gear. A pleasing and upbeat lead single, it is representative of the direction that Editors were intending to take with this record; but as good as it is, it's still in danger of being lost in the drudge.
Much like Interpol's Paul Banks, Tom Smith refuses to let his vocal range waver out of a very specific range, which can be infuriating to listen to. Smith's voice may have been less of an issue on their previous releases, but it's vividly apparent on this one; the majority of the songs seem tonally and sonically similar and make it all too easy to get lost in the thick, muddy sound coming out of your speakers. In fact, Eat Raw Meet = Blood Drool, is the one song which sees Smith venture outside his usual range and is consequently the best track here.
Overall, this is a starkly different album to their previous two, full of ambition and sprawling 5 and 6 minute-long songs. Unfortunately, it would appear that such ambition comes with a price. The evolution of Editors from a (mostly) guitar-based band to essentially an electro band has been handled clumsily, not with the relative effortlessness with which we saw the likes of Yeah Yeah Yeahs undertake a similar feat. In This Light and On This Evening is an admirable effort, certainly, yet ultimately a grossly unsatisfying one.
