Nothing But Thieves – ‘Nothing But Thieves’ [Review]
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Word of advice: You’ll need a pair of headphones handy when listening to this album. There are so many deep-in-the-mix layers and subtle touches in there, and you don’t want to miss out on a single one.
Nothing But Thieves have come a long way over the past few years, and are on the edge of exploding. When it happens, it will be entirely deserved – and for proof, look no further than this album. Nothing But Thieves is consistently massive in terms of ambition and flawless in execution, not to mention sensual, emotive, and breathtaking – often all at once.
Excuse Me‘s polite title conceals a slow-burning opener, lulling the curious into a false sense of security before erupting in a joyous guitar-driven explosion topped off with frantic falsetto in the vein of Muse’s Matt Bellamy. Ban All The Music gets frenetically funky, all take-no-prisoners force and irrepressible groovecraft; Wake Up Call is a glorious anthem complete with guttural basslines set on animating the most dance-resistant hips; and Itch scratches fuzzy cravings while ascending to a panoramic mountain-peak hook.
There are a lot of great songs already out there in the world – but Nothing But Thieves’ tunes remain absolutely exceptional.
Beyond Itch, there’s still plenty more greatness to come. If I Get High uplifts via heady atmospherics that’ll have you waving your lighter in the air wherever you are (so perhaps not a good track to listen to if you work in a petrol station); already-classic NBT signature song Graveyard Whistling offers London Grammar vibes and prime depths-of-the-soul lyricism; Hostage captivates instantly, a funk masterpiece that frequently sounds like Jamiroquai set to half-speed; and Trip Switch is my personal favourite, pure lyrical verse-poetry married to the best chorus on the whole album, custom-engineered for radio, arenas, and instant addiction.
Nothing But Thieves are in firm possession of a sound all their own, but the influence of Muse is unmistakable on Lover, Please Stay – a welcome breather in the form of a plaintive ballad guaranteed to become “Our Song” for a good many couples. Rounding off the album come Drawing Pins (gritty lo-fi garage rock, a slice of retromanic vintage-modernism), Painkiller (ultracool razor-edged rock ‘n’ roll), and Tempt You (think London Grammar fronted by Matt Bellamy; achingly slow, gorgeous synth pads, sultry keyboards, and a smattering of Transformer-having-a-panic-attack electronic elements). Nothing But Thieves are not one-trick ponies – and they ram this point home from start to finish.
This is an instant-classic album from a band already in a class of their own. Dues paid; success deserved.
TMMP RATING: 96% (Essential Listening!)
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2 responses to “Nothing But Thieves – ‘Nothing But Thieves’ [Review]”
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Lover Please Stay is their most obviously Jeff Buckley-influenced tune, right down to the title (see Lover, You Should Have Come Over from Grace). Much of this album owes a debt to Muse but that track least of all.
Interesting point! Definitely need to listen to more Jeff Buckley – it’s been a while…