Nothing But Thieves - Broken Machine

Rating:

Difficult second album? Nothing But Thieves have passed with flying colours.

Difficult second album? Many bands have tried and failed to take that next step, but for Nothing But Thieves it’s one embraced and morphed with commanding results. Following on from their self-titled debut and its many twists and turns, ‘Broken Machine’ is a record that finds the Southend five-piece locked into a direction they’ve witnessed as they travelled around the globe, packed with soaring hooks that rage and ripple in equal measure.

Whilst their initial emergence into the world was a varied melting pot of sounds and scenes, ‘Broken Machine’ is a tenacious record that distills to the core what Nothing But Thieves are all about. That unbridled fever that rips through the punchy ‘Amsterdam’, ‘I Was Just A Kid’ and ‘I’m Not Made By Design’ is matched by the chilling rawness of the title track, ‘Hell, Yeah’ and ‘Soda’ and in those moments the perfect balance is clear to see. Nothing But Thieves have carved out their own path and identity by taking those depths we all experience and revelling in its moments of utter despair but also in its unshackled intensity. Scouring through faith, mental health, the modern world, heartache and more - it’s a record that speaks volumes, and when the singalong clicks of ‘Sorry’ and the throbbing dank electro licks of ‘Live Like Animals’ rings out, you know they’re onto a sound that’ll have thousands flocking.

‘Broken Machine’ is a record Nothing But Thieves needed to make, capturing who they are as a band right now whilst also gazing into the unfiltered future ahead of them. Difficult second album? Nothing But Thieves have passed with flying colours. Jamie Muir