Broken Machine (album)
2017 studio album by Nothing but Thieves
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Broken Machine is the second studio album by English rock band Nothing but Thieves. It was released on 8 September 2017 under RCA and Sony Music[2] and produced by Mike Crossey.[3]
- Ranch Studios, California
- Grand Cru, London
| Broken Machine | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 8 September 2017 | |||
| Studios |
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| Genres | ||||
| Length | 43:31 | |||
| Labels | ||||
| Producer | Mike Crossey | |||
| Nothing but Thieves chronology | ||||
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| Deluxe edition cover | ||||
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| Singles from Broken Machine | ||||
Critical reception
Upon release, Broken Machine received generally positive reviews from critics, with several comments on the development of the band's style. Roisin Oconnor of The Independent described the album as being among 'the best rock albums of the year'.[3] She wrote that it 'showcases the band's consciousness' both on their own development and on the global events taking place around the world.
Varsity's Sarah Taylor awarded the album 4 out of 5 stars, writing that there had been notable anticipation leading up to the album's release and that it '[did] not disappoint'.[8] Taylor also praised the album for 'pushing more boundaries than the last', highlighting the variety in their music and lyricism as an example of them further defining their style.
Linda Köke of Genre Is Dead! gave similar praise, writing that the band had showcased their ability to 'follow in the footsteps of rock giants' with their latest album.[9] Köke praises the album's energy while Taylor praises the album's experimental nature, though Köke provides a slightly contrary opinion, describing the tenth track "Hell, Yeah" as being an 'almost mandatory late-album ballad'. Köke does however go on to award the album 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Luke Nuttall of The Soundboard builds on the more critical thoughts of Köke by describing the album as having only 'fragments' of the strongest elements from its predecessor, with most of the 'heavy lifting' being done by the vocals of Conor Mason.[7] Nuttall echoes criticism of final tracks "Hell, Yeah" and "Afterlife", going as far as to argue that the tracks are only 'tolerable' because of the band's capabilities. Nuttall also criticised the production quality on the album, describing it as seeming more 'lax' compared to their debut. He provides a contrasting opinion to that of Taylor and Köke, stating that the band's attempt to experiment with their sound as 'falling flat'. In closing however, Nuttall does describe the album as having 'some nice ideas that are definitely eligible to carry on into the future'.
Track listing
Credits adapted from the deluxe album notes.[10]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Was Just a Kid" |
| 4:30 |
| 2. | "Amsterdam" | Nothing but Thieves | 4:32 |
| 3. | "Sorry" |
| 3:34 |
| 4. | "Broken Machine" |
| 3:54 |
| 5. | "Live Like Animals" | Nothing but Thieves | 4:10 |
| 6. | "Soda" |
| 3:56 |
| 7. | "I'm Not Made by Design" |
| 3:52 |
| 8. | "Particles" | Nothing but Thieves | 3:55 |
| 9. | "Get Better" |
| 3:18 |
| 10. | "Hell, Yeah" |
| 3:06 |
| 11. | "Afterlife" | Nothing but Thieves | 4:43 |
| Total length: | 43:31 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12. | "Reset Me" |
| 3:31 |
| 13. | "Number 13" | Nothing but Thieves | 2:57 |
| 14. | "Sorry" (acoustic) |
| 3:34 |
| 15. | "Particles" (piano version) | Nothing but Thieves | 3:39 |
| Total length: | 57:12 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16. | "I Need Air (demo)" | Nothing but Thieves | 3:09 |
| 17. | "Stuck on You (demo)" | Nothing but Thieves | 4:07 |
| Total length: | 65:49 | ||
Personnel
Credits adapted from deluxe album's liner notes.[10]
Nothing but Thieves
- Conor Mason – vocals
- Joe Langridge-Brown – guitar, percussion
- Dominic Craik – guitar, percussion, piano on "Particles" (piano version)
- Phil Blake – bass
- James Price – drums
Additional personnel
- Mike Crossey – production, mixing, programming
- Dominic Craik – programming, mixing on "Sorry" (acoustic) and "Particles" (piano version)
- Jonathan Gilmore – engineering, programming
- Joseph Rodgers – engineering on "Sorry" (acoustic) and "Particles" (piano version)
- Robin Schmidt – mastering
Charts and certifications
| Chart (2017) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[11] | 12 |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[12] | 54 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[13] | 29 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[14] | 76 |
| Canadian Albums (Billboard)[15] | 81 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[16] | 8 |
| Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[17] | 48 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[18] | 67 |
| Irish Albums (IRMA)[19] | 41 |
| Italian Albums (FIMI)[20] | 47 |
| New Zealand Heatseekers Albums (RMNZ)[21] | 4 |
| Polish Albums (ZPAV)[22] | 14 |
| Scottish Albums (Official Charts)[23] | 5 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[24] | 27 |
| UK Albums (Official Charts)[25] | 2 |
| US Billboard 200[26] | 195 |
| US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[27] | 46 |
Certifications
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label | Catalog no. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | 8 September 2017 | 88985437031 | ||
| CD | 88985437032 | |||
| CD (deluxe edition) | 88985437042 | |||
| United Kingdom | LP (limited edition, signed) |
|
88985447331, 889854370619 | |
| LP (special edition) | 88985447331 | |||
| United States | CD | RCA | 88985-43703-1 | |
| Japan | CD |
|
SICP-5578 |