The Editors’ The Weight of Your Love is a bipolar roller-coaster of high-flying orchestral scenes and slow, meandering tracks. The album’s first track “The Weight” opens with a symphony sound and drums, rising up and up and up into crescendo where nothing happens. It just doesn’t go anywhere. This conflict between expectation and result is present in many moments of the album, right alongside tracks that actually deliver when you want them to.

Lyrically the album performs well enough across the board. Tom Smith’s words may appear melodramatic at times, but the album itself feels melodramatic so it at least fits. “Sugar” features lines such as ‘There’s sugar on your soul, you’re like no one I know, you’re the life of another world,” practically dripping with imagery reminiscent of high school poetry.

There’s so much that can be done with an album that sounds like The Weight. Some tracks do satisfy expectations. “A Ton of Love” pounds away with catchy guitar riffs, a fat bass groove, and energized drums. It’s a high point, sandwiched between songs that give it poor context.

“Formaldehyde” in the second half of the album delivers a Bowie-esque groove and energy unlike the previous half. In fact, the latter half of the album, a section typically reserved for lesser tracks that will never make it to radio, far outperforms the first. “Hyena” features some of the best vocals and lyrics from Smith, and “The Phone Book” throws the album’s typical sound away in favor of acoustic guitars and mild use of synthesizer.

It’s surprising, to say the least.

The Weight of Your Love is an album that borders between disappointing and beautiful. It’s a little confusing, to say the least. There are moments of true satisfaction, made better by the standard set by some of the previous tracks. The themes feel overused at a point, but that second half redeems what ever the first half failed to achieve. It’s worth a listen for the good moments. –Jordan B. Frye, Contributing Editor @jordanbfrye