Nothing But Thieves “Moral Panic”
English rock outfield Nothing But Thieves up the ante on their third album Moral Panic. Holy smokes! This album is incredible and the band yet again prove they have balls of steel experimenting with their sound carving their own niche. Even when they played in Adelaide last year you could just tell they were on the cusp of something brilliant. Low and behold they have delivered.
Opening track Unperson sets the tone with that experimenting sound they have been crafting. The buzzing synth basslines and guitars powering through the chorus has that feel of a cross between Twenty One Pilot and Bring Me The Horizon. Stand out single Is Everybody Going Crazy? typifies that COVID lockdown haze we’re starting to come out of. Front man Connor Mason poses that question about whether it is normal to through that struggle. No doubt that’s how we’ve all been feeling at various stages.
Moral Panic and Real Love Song are solid moments but its the Muse-esque anthem Phobia that stands to attention. It’s dark and smouldering early building in to something bigger, bolder and heavier. Love it! This Feels Like The End has that old school Nothing But Thieves vibe about but fits in perfectly on the album. Free If We Want It is a nod to some of the UK indie influences and Impossible may well be a contender for one of their best songs.
There are so many great moments on this that I’ll be literally hanging for the band to tour this album sometime soon and one song I hope to be hearing is Can You Afford To Be An Individual? The energy and intensity is really something. The album closer Before We Drift Away is a stunner and makes for some positive light and shade from what we’ve heard before this. The violins, horns and loud guitars enhances the anthemic feel wrapping up a great album experience.
Album Review By Rob Lyon
