Track Listing

1. Lights
2. Munich
3. Blood
4. Fall
5. All Sparks
6. Camera
7. Fingers In The Factories
8. Bullets
9. Someone Says
10. Open Your Arms
11. Distance

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #769 in Music
• Released on: 2005-07-25
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
The debut album from Editors, The Back Room confirms this young Birmingham quartet as torch-bearers for a British rock legacy that harks back, via short sojourns through the back catalogues of The Cure and Echo and the Bunnymen, to Joy Division's peerless Unknown Pleasures.

Combining the self-consciously grand, melodramatic vocals of frontman Tom Smith with swirling, minor-key guitar dynamics and claustrophobic, propulsive percussion, this could just be the British riposte to Interpol's majestic Turn On The Bright Lights. Mostly, this is down to Smith’s skill for twinning a superficially catchy chorus with enigmatic, dark sentiments: "People are fragile things, you should know by now/Be careful what you put them though", he warns on the tense "Munich". Perhaps in an understanding that you need more than mystique to power a debut album, however, the rather more mellow "Camera" sees Editors spread their wings a little, inviting cascading synths and the distant trill of sustained, effects-drenched guitar into the desolate rock design. Later albums will hopefully see Editors further build on their coldly ambitious sound, but for now, The Back Room should satisfy those in search of a bit of the dark stuff. --Louis Pattison

CD Description
Debut album from Birmingham band who are part of the burgeoning post-punk revival movement sweeping the charts, and whohave been compared to Interpol for their obvious debt to Joy Division. With their minor-key melodies, pensive vocals, glacial synths, spiky, trebly guitar parts and plectrum-picked basslines, they present a much darker sound than some of the other bands on the scene. Includes the singles 'Bullets','Munich' and 'Blood'.

Customer Reviews

80s revivalists par excellence
The Editors are the best early 80s British new wave band I've heard since ... the early 80s in fact. In "The Back Room" they've created a work that could easily pass for a long lost Kitchens of Distinction album. Any fans of the blessed Kitchens, B-Movie, The Chameleons or The Comsat Angels should snap up a copy of this immediately, as it contains echoes of all those groups. This is as good a recreation of that sound as you could wish for, and will bring the memories flooding back. Anyone looking for the future of popular music will have to wait a little longer.

Good first album - Better than most current music
Having heard of editors but not knowing much about them i embarked upon eurockeennes de belfort festival 2007, midday on the second day and on came Editors, the set started well and i was instantly impressed with the quality of the live performances, as the set continued i felt being drawn into their sound and by the end i was impressed enough to order this album as soon as i got home. Also, another thing that impressed me was the fact that the lead singer came into the crowd with the public after their set to watch queens of the stoneage. The album is very good with some instant hooks and some songs that gradually grow on you, the sound is very unique for the time and although i can see similarities to JD i think it is unfair to labour them with the JD tag, the band are so much more than that. Favourite tracks from the album include 'Munich', 'Blood' and 'All Sparks', overall a very good album, if you enjoyed this try 'An End Has A Start' aswell which is also a very good album, here's a band that are bound to be around for a while.

About Time Too
The biggest mistake I made in 2005 was turning down a £2 ticket to see The Editors at the Bierkeller, Manchester, in favour of some bird!!! I dont have many regrets but this is certainly one of them. After that episode I didnt want the album to be decent... and just to rub my nose in it, it is. In fact its bloody brilliant.

The standout tracks on this album are fantastic and well beyond standard debut album tracks. 'Blood'is by far my favourite, if only for its opening guitar dance. The chorus of 'Munich' seems to be written by a band that have seen it all and it is difficult to remember sometimes that this band are new and still fairly young. 'All Sparks' and the beautiful 'Bullets' prove that The Editors are no flash in the pan band, who are worthy of any Joy Division comparisons.

Of the remaining tracks 'Camera' has to be my favourite and where Tom Smith can be found at his most haunting. There are some weaker tracks on this album but even then they are very listenable.

If anyone does have a time machine so I could travel back to that cold night in Manchester, please let me know.... But then what doesnt kill you....