When one considers the musical hubs of the UK, a few towns spring to mind: London, Manchester, Oxford, Glasgow, Edinburgh. Birmingham doesn’t really top the list, although a number of quality acts have emerged from that Midlands locale (Duran Duran, Black Sabbath, E.L.O., The Streets). But those artists grew up in Brum; Editors relocated there. London would seem a better location to launch a career, but for Editors, the strange decision may have been the best one. With two UK top-20 singles preceding the album, The Back Room went top-15 in the UK and now, you’ll find it on US shelves at US prices. If for some reason this record has evaded your radar, it won’t for long. One of the finest debuts in recent memory, the innocuously named Tom Smith and his band make music that is hardly easily forgotten. Blending aspects of Interpol with U2, Editors truly have a sound that is made for stadiums – anthemic and cinematic, hook-laden and full of vibe, urgency, and attitude. The immediacy of “Munich” and “Blood” contrasts nicely with the groove and darkness of tunes like “All Sparks” and “Fall”, while “Bullets” just aches for a 40,000-strong sing-along. After another summer of festivals and US touring, Editors look to make the jump from hipster favorites to stadium band in waiting. Then Birmingham will have another mega band to add to its list of hometown success stories.
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