Editors

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More About

• Munich
• Editors (Musical Group)
• Joy Division
• Tom Smith
• Marshall

Despite hopes to the contrary, the public's still not tired of bands doing the whole Joy Division thing. If you can stomach another round of Ian-Curtis-via-Interpol, the U.K.'s Editors are among the best of the derivative bunch. Led by singer Tom Smith's affected monotone vocals, Editors have already gone platinum across the pond, and their single, "Munich," has already begun to take over radio airwaves stateside. The formula is simple: Write a basic riff and lyrics just cryptic enough to keep people guessing, then reiterate everything over and over and over again until you hit three and a half minutes. Stop, rinse, repeat. Despite some musical monotony, The Back Room keeps it interesting lyrically -- the line "People are fragile things you should know by now/Be careful what you put them through" has fans debating whether "Munich" was inspired by a relationship in decay or the rise of the Nazis. The emotional tempo also keeps the album fresh song over song, ranging from downbeat downers (the almost cringe-worthy "Camera") to locomotive anthems ("Blood," "Lights," "All Sparks") that aren't hard to imagine booming out of arena-sized Marshall stacks.