Editors: An End Has a Start

Epic

Like Ian McCulloch in the early ’80s, Editors singer Tom Smith sounds old before his time, preoccupied as he is with our precarious mortal coil. “In the end, all you can hope for is the love you felt to equal the pain you’ve gone through” (“Bones”), he bellows in that proud, clarion voice that — along with Chris Urbanowicz’s unctuous guitar backdrops, which are rich in magnetic melodies that soar even as Smith descends — can’t help reinforcing comparisons with early Echo and the Bunnymen. The slow-moving, majestic soundscape of the aptly titled “The Weight of the World” (Q: Who titles a song “The Weight of the World” with no tongue in cheek? A: Editors) brings reassurance from Smith: “Every little piece of your life/Will mean something to someone.” Yes, even his cheeriest sentiments are underscored by a sense that the end is nigh. It’s a romantic notion, one that worked magic for McCulloch. And it’s even an appealing one: every now and again, it’s nice to be reminded that the world is shit and we’re all gonna die. Editors have mastered the form.

Editors + Biffy Clyro | Paradise Rock Club, 967 Comm Ave, Boston | Sept 6 | 617.931.2000