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While it seems they will probably never equal the majesty of their debut, Editors have dug themselves out of their artistic cul de sac at least long enough to plan their next move.
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Alternative PressThanks to nuanced production by Flood and a dizzying array of synthesizer textures, In This Light & On This Evening is a resounding step forward for the British band. [Feb 2009, p.93]
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It's hard not to see Editors' third album, In This Light and on This Evening, as its New Ordering-a marked shift away from guitars to synthesizers and a cleaner, dance-friendly vibe that still maintains much of the emotional heft. But the transition can seem a bit self-conscious.
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Dirty propulsive bass and disco beats still drive the songs, but it’s a departure from the band’s early, stunning work. It’s also a huge bummer.
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In This Light And On This Evening is a weak, ill conceived and uninspiring effort.
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Editors have crafted a bold statement of intent, one that hopefully suggests a continuingly bold future.
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Not even superproducer Flood (U2, Depeche Mode) can save the postpunk singer from misery. Or from overacting.
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FilterIt's hard to talk about the Editors without drawing comparisons to their Great Brit predecessors Joy Division and Echo & the Bunnymen, and on In This Light, these comparisons ring true. [Holiday 2009, p. 92]
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Brummie Rockers offer electro-led punch in the nose.
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Editors' ponderously titled third album is a disappointing reversion to form, with listless melodies, gloopy, synth-heavy arrangements and corny lyrics that might pass for sly goth-culture satire if Smith didn't deliver them with such self-serious bravado.
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While Smith & Co. may overuse a keyboard riff or two on In This Light, we shouldn't really let that sully this dark, majestic detour.
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MojoIt's a curiously dated backdrop that, although sitting well with Smith's occasionally pompous lyrics, does no favours to the singer's foghorn baritone; a problem that might have been saved by some radio-friendly tunes, which are notably thin on the ground this time. [Nov 2009, p.90]
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Their sonic departure won't be radical enough to put off fans, but the ultimate feel is familiar enough not to persuade any detractors. They may have taken a step forward, but they're still on the same street.
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They’ve possibly succeeded in alienating the casual fan with the brief moments of nastiness that are here.
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This third effort is trying too hard to innovate by, once again in Editors fashion, obviously borrowing from somewhere else.
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It's sort of a catch-22 that Editors can write songs sticky enough to be memorable in unfortunate ways.
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In This Light and on This Evening dials it down so far that it doesn’t contain one track that comes close to the power of songs they seemed to toss off so effortlessly before.
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Q MagazineAs an album, it is an imposing structure, a statement to their architectural skill. Beneath their grand design, however, Editors exists in a grey area, mistaking the half-light for night. They're not quite masters of darkness yet. [Nov 2009, p.105]
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Despite embracing their electronic influences with much gusto on these more inspired outings, though, the record's middle stretch feels both forced and forgettable.
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The change in emphasis is jarring at first, but embrace your inner goth and you'll realize that the band's signifiers--frontman Tom Smith's outsize baritone, a penchant for high drama--remain intact.
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Fans of the band are either going to be blindly loyal, or extremely disappointed with this release. Meanwhile, those who felt that Editors were overly generic will either be interested in their new direction, or simply feel they are now generic in a different genre.
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The highlights are few and far between: Editors may have thought they were progressing by getting synthesized, but it’s ultimately a case of one step forward and two steps back.
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Frontman Tom Smith is clearly still touchy about "living out second-hand cliches", but his band are finding their own voice.
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UncutGuitar band goes synth' isn't going to stop any presses, but this new phase perfectly suits Editors well. [Nov 2009, p. 84]
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Under The RadarIn their attempts to procure an oppressively dark ambience, they have bypassed heroes Depeche Mode and New Order, landing straight in standard-issue mail-Goth territory--a place with little thematic variation. [Holiday 2009, p.76]
User score distribution:
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Positive: 38 out of 57
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Mixed: 12 out of 57
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Negative: 7 out of 57
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May 31, 2011
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Oct 31, 2012
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Dec 7, 2022This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view.