Editors "The Weight Of Your Love"

 

I bought this about six weeks after its release in July and then waited nearly three months to pop it into rotation.  I so adored their last record in 2010 so why the hesitation?  I believe it was rooted in a call to WPRK around Labor Day when I heard the distinctive vocals of Tom Smith emanating from the auto's radio.  I asked the female DJ if the track was from the new Editors album and my phone suddenly turned very cold as she replied, "No, it's from their first album.  They've gone downhill since."  BRRRRR!!!!  Well, she was partially correct as this album falls very short of my personal standard for the band.

First listen, track one.....ummm, maybe that will grow on me.  Track two.....five-star song...



And that, my friends, was the single highlight of the entire record.  There were a couple of marginal tracks (I'll actually keep just one more), some interesting lyrics and Smith's cool voice.  However, I'm going to say this album suffers from Simple Minds Syndrome.  You know what that is, right?  The disease that affects front man vocalists which alters their view of reality, causing them to believe they can carry a band by themselves.  Happened to Icehouse, too.  There are a couple of songs on here that wouldn't have made the cut on a Comsat Angels album and one that would have ended up on the editing room floor of a Fields Of The Nephilim session.  Thank goodness for the acoustic versions of two said marginal tracks included at the end of my purchase, both far superior to the originals, which were bathed in bad New Wave.  Here is one from a German morning show...



My notes all had a theme in common, "What's happened to them?"  Now I know.  The guitarist left the band and there are two new members in his stead...hardly ever a good sign.  And why on earth would you take this band to Nashville to record?  Bad, bad, bad idea...  They've never had much success here in America with only one of their records cracking the Top 200...and it ain't this one.  Signs of disenchantment from their British base, too, as this one peaked at #6 when the previous two were #1.  They've had their best chart runs in Belgium, Italy and the Netherlands. 

Dude, just go solo if you want to do another album like this...