Where It's At

Editors to fill Chop Suey with moody, gripping sounds

by Jessica Browning - SGN A&E Writer Editors w/ Biffy Clyro, Ra Ra Riot Tuesday, September 18 - 8pm Chop Suey - $15 The long anticipated return of Editors is finally here. White-hot live performers and what's more, masters of the lost art of the b-side, the group hails from Birmingham, England and consists of Tom Smith (lead vocals, guitar, piano), Chris Urbanowicz (lead guitar, synths), Russell Leetch (bass, vocals), and Ed Lay (drums, vocals). Unfortunately for Editors, they've suffered the standard list of comparisons to artists as well known as Interpol to those as cultish but beloved as Kitchens of Distinction. Like American peers Interpol, Editors' sophomore release hit US stores in July, drawing the comparison factor once again. But the similarities really end there. Smith's impassioned gestures and the depth of his baritone convey a warmth and thoughtfulness more confessional than Interpol's Paul Banks' somewhat icy delivery. British bands are usually more fun to get to know, anyway, let's admit. It doesn't hurt that the quartet, all born in the early 80's, are fresh-faced, handsome, stylish but not styled, and don't seem to have allowed themselves to let modest success go to their heads or send them packing off to hipster rehab. They seem far too smart for that. The Back Room, the dense hook-laden debut, piqued my interest from the beginning, but what really sent me over the edge was seeing their appearance at Chop Suey several months after the album's release. The Capitol Hill club was packed, which usually means distracting capacity constraints often ruinous to a fan trying to get a glimpse of a new artist. However, Editors plowed through their set with such force and sheer joy, it seemed like time flew by with no thought of anyone leaving until the very last note. They were just that good and that inspiring. I may have been perched on the steps in the back to get a better vantage point, but the set was so precise and fused with energy that it radiated through the room. I've been anticipating another album and tour ever since. Lucky for me, the fine art of the b-side is not lost on these four. Some of the very best Editors tracks can be found as extras on their singles, and I've kept busy collecting as many as I could unearth. Moody, gripping, and thoughtful, in 2006 Editors surprising debut earned them a nomination for the coveted Mercury Music Prize. The new record, An End Has A Start sounds less dense; Tom Smith's lyrical ruminations a bit like valentines to the fragility of life and love, as if the band is growing in more ways than one. It's refreshing to see a young band achieve some recognition but remain accessible and in touch with the reality of what writing songs about being human is all about. Rumor has it that the singer's Converse All-stars, worn a few years ago at the UK's V Festival, were posted on eBay in a charity auction to raise money for MAG (Mines Advisory Group). They raised a little over $100, but I'm betting a few more tours and records down the line they'll be capable of a lot more. Catch them in a club setting while you can. J. Browning Artist essentials: Check out the oddly Robert Palmer-esque video for "An End Has a Start" on the band's website www.editorsofficial.com.