Like the old stuff but better.
Wow. Did the Editors lead singer Tom Smith always sound like Michael Stipe doing backing vocals for Interpol? First time around the Editors never made much of an impression on this writer, sure they ticked the right boxes with influences and sound-alikes but they never really impressed much.
The good news is that this single, 'Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors' is much better than what was expected...but still fails to wholly excite, although the improvements are commendable.
The vocals hit you straight away and immediately, the Interpol feel is obvious but generally, the track just feels bigger as though the band have more confidence. Theres a section near the end where the song just takes off and leaves you a bit gob smacked, almost as if "where did that come from?" This section is helped with the music starting slowly thereby allowing the opportunity for the dynamic to kick in but hey, that's obviously what the band was aiming for and its worked.
Repeated listens don't bring much extra joy, so the beauty may lie in its first hearing but its laid down a marker for the new album and perhaps an indication that The Editors have upped their game considerably. Lets await the album with bated breath.