The Editors

The Editors, live at the Brixton Academy, October 8, 2007

The Editors' second album, An End Has A Start, is the best CD I've bought this year (of course, you haven't seen what else I've bought....). A mix of The Smiths, Radiohead, Coldplay and U2, the Birmingham band nonetheless has its own distinct sound and style. There's not a bad song in the whole album, which gets better with every listen.

Their sold-out gig at the Brixton Academy was a manic, awesome affair, with Tom Smith climbing all over his piano and running around the stage like a crazed man until he eventually managed to rip out his leads and threw his guitar on the ground in contempt. But he has a compelling voice and delivers lyrics with a punch ("How can you know what things are worth if your hands won't move to do a day's work?"). The songs are full of fantastic guitar riffs and original drums sections. Escape The Nest is my personal favourite. We were deaf for about two hours afterwards, but it was well worth it!