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An End Has A Start Image
Metascore
65

Generally favorable reviews - based on 24 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 91 Ratings

  • Summary: The Birmingham, England group tries to escape the sophmore slump and comparisons to other bands with their second album.

Top Track

An End Has A Start
I don't think that it's Gonna rain again today There's a devil at your side But an angel on the way Someone hit the light 'Cause there's more here... See the rest of the song lyrics
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 24
  2. Negative: 1 out of 24
  1. This album is fucking brilliant – it made me want to cut my hair, paint the ceiling, fuck the postman and burn the disco down. So I did. Then I curled up in a corner, cried, and shat myself.
  2. The band's sophomore disc, which teems with drama and dark dollops of piano that swarm beautifully around singer-guitarist Tom Smith's clarion-call voice, continues to make good on the hype while again drawing on the past.
  3. Singer Tom Smith tempers his constant anxiety with flashes of optimism, his brittle nihilism with gooey sentiment.
  4. They are still too tied to their musical ancestors for any serious maturation to take place.
  5. By producing a more polished, more accomplished sheen while The Killers have roughed themselves up and forgotten to shave, the two bands have moved towards a middle ground where they're virtually indistinguishable.
  6. An End Has a Start doesn’t have the glorious indie-disco hits of Editors’ debut, and its toned-down sheen leaves us wishing for more bite.
  7. A record that's so deathly serious that each of it's ten songs could be associated with its very own biblical plague.

See all 24 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 34 out of 47
  2. Negative: 6 out of 47
  1. Thompson
    Jul 16, 2007
    10
    The most powerful album of the year.
  2. BrookeO.
    Jul 24, 2007
    10
    Terrific second album from this band showing growth, maturity, and a willingness to express themselves and take chances. At this point the Terrific second album from this band showing growth, maturity, and a willingness to express themselves and take chances. At this point the Interpol/Killers...etc comparisons are superflurous as the Editors show themselves to be a different beast altogether. I would put them in the British Sea Power "Open Season" camp or even early REM or Smiths...something like that, but entirely original at this point. C' mon folks..."Smokers outside the Hospital Doors", "An End Has a Start", and "Escape the Nest" are absolute classic songs. I was originally looking forward to the Interpol album, but after hearing both, Editors is in my cd player every day, Interpol sits on the shelf already collecting a layer of dust. Expand
  3. DW.
    Sep 13, 2007
    10
    This is a great album and flows much better than The Back Room. The band is certainly maturing and writing better songs. An excellent live This is a great album and flows much better than The Back Room. The band is certainly maturing and writing better songs. An excellent live act as well. Love this new stuff. Expand
  4. Garrett
    Jul 17, 2007
    9
    It's a tight album and one of the best I've heard so far this year. It's not my favorite album out of the UK this year (that It's a tight album and one of the best I've heard so far this year. It's not my favorite album out of the UK this year (that would be the new Art Brut) but I certainly think this album is better than the debut. Expand
  5. DavidH.
    Nov 17, 2007
    8
    A truly great follow-up to the exceptional 'in the back room' they seem to have matured well, produces songs with such epic A truly great follow-up to the exceptional 'in the back room' they seem to have matured well, produces songs with such epic quailty! the only criticism is that the album is slightly too depressing in places, songs like weight of the world are bogged down and dreary. Overall though, the album is again a solid effort, if slightly less than the debut; it still features some of their best songs yet. A great achievement! best songs- smokers outside the hospital doors, an end has a start, when anger shows, the racing rats, escape the nest and spiders. Expand
  6. Mick
    Jul 9, 2007
    7
    A couple of good songs and a lot of terrible drivel. Thae back room was unbelievable this is slightly disappointing but still good for A couple of good songs and a lot of terrible drivel. Thae back room was unbelievable this is slightly disappointing but still good for fans(and notably a lot of effort has been made to commercialize them like snow patrol). Expand
  7. ralphs.
    Jul 18, 2007
    1
    This album is void of anything genuine; it sounds so derivative, like one had the most popular albums from 4 years ago only, listened to them This album is void of anything genuine; it sounds so derivative, like one had the most popular albums from 4 years ago only, listened to them over and over again in a week's time then rushed an album together in few days, always checking to see if the songs sound exactly the same.... forget the comparisons to Joy Division, this band of poseurs is so not in their league... And forget the comparisons to Interpol, Editors cannot hold a candle to Interpol, and that by no means is praise for Interpol either. Expand

See all 47 User Reviews