single review: Editors - "Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors" and Tour Presale Info

Summer has finally arrived and it comes carrying with it a new Editors single. "Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors", is pulled from An End Has A Start, the follow-up to 2005’s The Back Room, and will be released in the UK on 6/25. As with any band whose debut garners a bunch of critical praise and my discretionary dough, I was excited and anxious for the next offering. My music purchasing history is littered with second albums that didn’t deliver on the promise and/or greatness of the first (The Stone Roses' Second Coming, anyone? Damn, I waited YEARS for that?). Editors first album was one of the best of 2005 and after seeing them at Webster Hall, they’d quickly ascended the ladder to become a favorite. Despite all that, a lackluster single would definitely give me pause and might even induce flashbacks of listening to nearly five minutes of jungle noises at the start of Second Coming more than a decade ago.


No worries though, for Editors deliver an awesome first single. Nearly five minutes long, "Smokers" offers a pounding drum opening, followed by their familiar avalanche of guitars, which yields to the chorus. Nearly three minutes in there’s a slight pause, almost a false end, but it’s the start of a quiet middle part, just piano and Tom Smith’s voice, which builds to the thumping, soaring finish. I don’t get the U2 comparisons I’ve read – their music doesn’t have the "anthem" qualities U2 had from War through The Joshua Tree. Editors choruses tend to be loud and I guess they’re easy to sing along to, but that’s where the similarity ends.


Editors have delivered great b-sides, which makes buying their singles such a winning idea. Past cd singles (vinyl b-sides have contained different offerings at times) have seen them serve up some amazing originals ("Let Your Good Heart Lead You Home") as well as covers of REM ("Orange Crush") and Stereolab ("French Disko"). "Eye For An Eye" builds slowly and insistently and it took a couple listens to register, but now it holds its own against earlier flip sides.


An End Has A Start will be released stateside on 7/17 on Epic/FADER Label/Kitchenware. If you don’t want to get the import, it can be heard in-full on their MySpace page. I haven’t listened yet, as I wanted to hear the single before venturing over, but I’m feeling confident based on "Smokers..." Looks like there will be a second date for me and Editors and a second date is always a good thing.(JOHN BYRNE)

EDITORS NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES
9/4 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
9/6 - Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club
9/7 - NY, NY - Webster Hall
9/8 - Montreal, QC - Osheaga Festival
9/9 - Toronto, ON - Virgin Festival
9/11 - Chicago, IL - Park West
9/12 - Minneapolis, MN - Fine Line Music Cafe
9/14 - Denver, CO - Monolith Festival
9/15 - Salt Lake City, UT - Club Sound
9/17 - Vancouver, BC - Richard's On Richards
9/18 - Seattle, WA - Chop Suey
9/19 - Portland, OR - Berbati's Pan
9/20 - San Francisco, CA - Fillmore
9/23 - San Diego, CA - Streetscene
9/24 - Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern

Ticket pre-sales begin Tuesday, June 26th at 10:00 AM here.

VIDEO: "Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors" wma mov