When Editors' long-term guitarist, Chris Urbanowicz, left the band last year because of "musical differences", it sounded like your typical rock cliché excuse. Listen to the Birmingham band's fourth album, however, and you'll see where he was coming from. Notwithstanding two or three strong tunes (A Ton of Love apes The Cult and '80s-era U2, but it's a standout), the album is hugely uneven, darting from buzzy electro-indie to self-indulgent orchestral numbers (Honesty, Nothing) that seem clunky and misplaced, rather than the epic pomp they were presumably aiming for. Tom Smith's vocal variations – all pinched falsetto, nasal drone and husky whine – only accentuates the lopsided tone. Editors' previous work has been succinct, taut and often intriguing; this album is a perfect example of a band that has simply lost direction. editorsofficial.com

Download: A Ton of Love, Formaldehyde