The psyche of a songwriter is inherently unique from that of many others. Using the song as their vehicle to express emotions through melody and words, oftentimes, you might find them more comfortable behind a piano or guitar, working out ideas, than anything else. An artform that can be painstaking to the most passionate of the bunch, Editors’ Tom Smith has dedicated his life to the art of song for well over two decades.
Attaining success as the leading voice of Editors, Smith has always been known for his broad, yet distinctively deep vocal range and very personal, introspective lyrics. Factors that helped make Editors one of the more successful Rock bands around, they have attained one chart-topping album after another, several platinum and gold-selling albums, and major award nominations.
A band that has a sound that shifts from record to record, early on their 2005 debut, The Back Room, and 2007’s An End Has A Start were more Indie Rock, while 2009’s In This Light and on This Evening found them experimenting with more Synthrock sounds. From here, 2013’s The Weight of Your Love shifted to more Alternative Rock, 2015’s In Dream was very Darkwave sounding, Violence a mix of Indie Rock and Electronic, while 2022’s EBM was heavily Electronic in every sense of the word.
A fascinating trajectory, only time will tell where the next Editors album will find them, but in the meantime, Smith has opted to reserve some songs for himself, releasing his first-ever solo single back in June 2025 under the title “Lights of New York City.” A bit different from anything Editors have done of late, the song was much more stripped-back, acoustic-based, and precisely the direction Smith wanted to go in. Yearning to challenge his songwriting and go back to the basics of simply instrumentation to compose a song, next came the stunningly beautiful and striking single “Life Is For Living” in August, followed by “Leave” in October, and lastly “Broken Time” in November. Clearly more than a one-and-done experiment, it was all gearing up for Tom Smith’s debut solo album, There Is Nothing In The Dark That Isn’t There In The Light.
Released on December 5, 2025, through PIAS, before anyone is startled, the album does not spell the end of Editors, but is more a separate entity in which Tom Smith wanted to express something solely on his own. In fact, Smith and company are working on a new Editors music, and will tour in 2026 amidst Tom Smith’s first-ever solo tour. Really a special time: with Tom Smith’s solo album, you get a set of very intimate songs that often feel like you are in the room with him as he strums a guitar or strokes the piano keys.
Stripped back, what you have are raw songs that stand on their own with simple production. With Tom Smith’s voice right up front, there are certainly layers around that build, but again, very subtly. This is evident from the start with the candid, comforting “Deep Dive.” A song that invites you in and reminds you that even in your darkest hour, there is still hope, much of the remainder of the album possesses a warm feeling that settles quickly into your bones.
This is the case with tracks like “Endings Are Breaking My Heart,” which flows perfectly from guitars to gentle piano notes, all while really tugging at your emotions. Then you have the more Jazz feel of “Light of New York City,” the haunting sound of “Northern Line,” and captivating “Souls,” However, amidst this treasure chest, you cannot help but go back to “Life Is For Living” which is the expressions of a very sensitive songwriter who seems to have a profound understanding of what matters in this world.
Overall, Tom Smith’s There Is Nothing In The Dark That Isn’t There In The Light solidifies that he is one of the most exceptional songwriters out there today. Heartfelt and personal, these songs will stick to you and sink deep inside with distinctive human emotion that cannot be denied. That is why Cryptic Rock gives There Is Nothing In The Dark That Isn’t There In The Light 5 out of 5 stars.
){kind=link}
No comment