With their fifth album In Dream, British band Editors continue to defy categorisation, having left behind the energetic guitar rock of their early releases with a journey to disco's darker side.
“It’s experimental and pop at the same time,” singer Tom Smith said of the album, which was created in just over six weeks in an artist’s small, isolated house in western Scotland.
Since their debut in 2002, the band have sought to forge a distinct identity, defined by powerful guitars, dark subject matter and Smith’s deep voice, which recalls the late Ian Curtis, singer of legendary 1980s Manchester band Joy Division.
“We came out at a time with a new wave of British bands – such as Bloc Party, Maxïmo Park –and they all sounded similar,” bassist Russell Leetch said.
“The majority of pop singers don’t have a baritone voice, so it gets moodier, it gets heavier,” said Leetch, who cites The Cure and Radiohead as his inspirations.
After their first two albums – The Back Room (2005) and An End Has a Start (2007) – respectively reached numbers two and one on the British charts, Editors looked set to claim their place at the head of the transatlantic pop-rock scene.
Instead, the group began to delve into the world of electronica, using synthesisers and a host of new instruments.
Hints of the new sound can be heard on their third album, In This Light and on This Evening (2009), evolving six years later into In Dream, which threatens a clean break with the past. Its 10 tracks offer a fusion of organic sounds and haunting strings.
It is a break partly caused by the departure of guitarist Chris Urbanowicz. The arrival of two new members and a return to a more classic approach culminated with the release of The Weight of Your Love in 2013. But the band were still keen to experiment, and decamped to the Scottish wilderness to hone their sound.
“It was a very secluded place, 35 minutes away from the nearest town, up in the mountains, very picturesque and always windy,” said Leetch.
“We didn’t go up there to make a new record, we went up there for a writing session. It’s a happy accident that it turned into a record,” he added.
As each new song is dissected and reinterpreted, the classic rock sound of guitar, bass and drums is gradually abandoned. Even Smith’s distinctive dark voice swings between bass and treble.
The arrival of a new vintage is reinforced by the presence of British singer Rachel Goswell, the first guest artist to appear on one of the band’s albums.
The next test is to recreate the ambience live during a tour that started in Britain on Friday.
“It’s always a challenge,” said Leetch of the live shows. “Sometimes we have to re-amplify certain songs.”
• In Dream by The Editors is out now through PIAS Recordings
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