poppedmusic

Talos & Editors

Northumbria University, 11th October 2018

Words: Sammy Sadler

I’m ashamed to admit that although I have been a fan of Editors from afar for a long time, I never really paid much attention to the British indie-rock outfit.

There always seemed to be some other band that I was obsessing about at the time so there was never really the space for me to fully appreciate Editors and their impressive back catalogue.

This all changed in March when they released their sixth album ‘Violence’ and I’ve found myself listening to their full discography on a regular basis ever since.

I was lucky enough to catch both them and the awesome Talos on 11th October at Northumbria University and what a show it was.

I’ve had my eye on openers Cork outfit Talos for a little while now and I’ve been mesmerised by their range of soaring soundscapes packed full of eerie experimental loops, dazzling synths and stunning vocals from Eoin French.

With very slight similarities to Kodaline in the first instance, Talos are a beautiful combination of atmospheric instrumentals embellished with powerful lyrics and delicate tones. The guys totally left an impression from their opening chords and it was evident that everyone in the room really enjoyed it. A perfect opener, I really hope these guys return to Newcastle for their own headline slot soon.

You could tell the audience were still stunned long after Talos left the stage but it was soon time for the main act to grace us with our presence. As Tom Smith sauntered onto the stage he was welcomed by screams and whoops of delight as the first keys of ‘The Boxer’ started to trickle out. I was hooked from the outset from what turned out to be an absolutely incredible set boasting the true talent of Editors.

The inclusion of ‘Bones’ offered an earnest nod to the quality British indie-rock that the outfit became so popular with, as guitars competed against each other into a shower of noise and excitement. Of course, ‘Papillon’ and ‘Magazine’ continued in the same vein but with a twist of electro-charged instrumentals and anthemic choruses that command to be danced to.

Explosive percussions and vigorous riffs may have been high on the agenda but they weren’t the only elements of the band’s set to steal the show. The delicacy of tracks such as ‘Ocean of Night’ and ‘No Harm’, both taken from the band’s 2015 album ‘In Dream’, exposed Smith’s vocal ability as each syllable echoed from the walls and intricate keys danced around soothing synths.

Closing on the powerful ‘Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors’ and the energetic ‘Munich’, I found myself wanting to burst into tears of happiness.

There’s a dramatic atmosphere that surrounds Editors and Smith’s operatic-style vocals that evoke so many feelings of passion and pain. After all these years, they’ve absolutely still got it.