Oddity #29 - Waterpark Woes

 

An oddity that can be used as a measure of just how unpredictable life can be. If this had happened in 2005 after the Back Room came out, there would probably have been enormous disquiet among some of the band's followers. It would have no doubt resulted in an immediate exodus to the furthest hills of musical fandom, followed by a prolonged session of mourning as they lamented the loss of Boy Division or whatever pejorative moniker the press had labelled Editors with at the time. Sunlight, shorts and water parks. Each one is a demonic nemesis to those who prefer to live their lives in the shadows of melancholy. They have no business occupying the same space as those we choose to follow and admire as ambassadors of our own dejected emotions. It wouldn't have gone down well. All of this with a soundtrack that sounds like it was born in summer and chose to live the rest of its life in that season. This wasn't the group that wrote Distance, dammit.

 

I should add that they all appear to be doing this as one, with a plus one,  because a quick freeze-frame check of the closing moments shows two other people to the camera operator's left. The only thing I don't know is who was filming:-

Almost 20 years later and even if this kind of thing isn't totally expected, it somehow doesn't feel surprising to me at all. So you're telling me that sad Tom Smith, the man with the best vocal range in music posted a video where he and his equally sullen bandmates did a group descent at a water park, in swimwear, to the sound of their new single? In 2022, my facial expression would as remain unchanged as if botox had been liberally applied to it. Except for my smile, which would still rise in defiance of all chemical interventions.

Oh, and if you think any of the above is a little far fetched, you didn't live through the initial fan-reactions to the band's video for An End Has a Start. Mercy!

 

stream it here

 

And don't forget, you can catch up with other Editors Oddities using this link:-

Editors Oddities

brought to you with lots and lots of lemming-love :) x