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-Greg’s Take-

Four years, a lineup change and some Alt-Folk/Americana influence and Stafford’s Editors still sound like a time capsule of 80s nostalgia.

After founding guitarist Chris Urbanowicz opted to pursue options elsewhere, Elliott Williams and Justin Lockey climbed on board and caught on seamlessly. I say seamlessly because the Editors are still very much the Editors.

Recorded in Nashville, assumingly to capture the Americana feel Tom Smith envisioned, The Weight Of Your Love more aptly fits the tile The Weight Of Carrying Editors Sound In A New Direction and Discovering It Still Sounds Just Like Editors.

The most important thing to remember is if you are an Editors fan, as I am, this new record is brilliant; not very different, per se, but brilliant. Basically to the point where I’m ready to say “You’re the Editors? You’re headed in a new direction? Sure, whatever, just play,” because they can’t go wrong.

The guys fully recapture the hauntingly romantic aura we’ve fallen for; all while not being quite as heavy handed as their previous work. You’ll find no kicking like a sleep twitch here. Instead Russell Leetch gets distorted on some serious bass riffs (“Sugar”), Ed Lay drops epic rhythms that encapsulate the powerful driving force of Editors style, newcomers Lockey and Williams build upon the alter of sound and Tom Smith’s baritone voice once again drives home the reason he is the only tolerable baritone for this genre as he sings to an almost Hutchence-like presence.  All together, The Weight Of Your Love is precisely where I image INXS would be had they kept on course.

While I’m fully aware that they intended to head in a particular direction (alt-folk/Americana), being such a distinctive sound, it is hard to miss that The Weight Of Your Love has achieved the Editors sound; there’s just no other way to put it. The eleven tracks are packed with a modern take on a retro sound laced with the often dark veil of Smith’s artistic expression.  It hits the nail on the head for the next great Editors record; just don’t expect anything less than another great Editors album.