Gloom sluts even by Northern English post-punk standards, Editors were the toast of 2005, at least in certain dimly lit, poorly furnished, disgustingly smoke-clogged garrets around the world. Sure, they sounded like Joy Division but with a little death disco in the drums, a little flash in the guitar and a salutary emotional resolve in Tom Smith's voice, as in "Munich" ("It breaks when you don't force it/It breaks when you don't try" – such a simple line, yet tougher the longer you chew on it) or "All Sparks." On the second Editors album, An End Has a Start, the songwriting has moments, like "Bones" and "Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors." But the production goes soft, a sorry trend this year for U.K. bands' sophomore albums (see Bloc Party, the Rakes, Kaiser Chiefs, etc.); the songs get puffed and fluffed up but lose the wiry edge of "Munich," burying Chris Urbanowicz's guitar until it all sounds like Coldplay. Nice tunes, but louder, please.

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