SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: NOTHING BUT THIEVES – DEAD CLUB CITY

Nothing But Thieves
Dead Club City
Sony/RCA/AWAL

Nothing But Thieves prove they are one of the freshest rock bands working today with their latest album Dead Club City. 

Dead Club City is far from perfect, but is it ever exhilarating. The album opens with the dazzling track “Welcome To The DCC”. The intro surges with intensity and is full of pure energy, Conor Mason’s falsetto is insane, and the instrumentation is gripping. It is an excellent combination of rock and funk. “Overcome” has the makings of being a future classic. It does an excellent job of capturing nostalgia. It feels modern and like a blast from the blast. The bright and soaring keys are incredibly mesmerizing. The alternative rock track “Members Only” is also fantastic. It has a guitar riff reminiscent of Arctic Monkeys, is full of swagger, and feels like something you would hear in a James Bond movie.

Nothing But Thieves saves the best for last with the thunderous song “Pop The Balloon”. Explosive and crunchy riffs, booming drums, wild and chaotic energy, and commanding vocals by Mason make it the best song from the album and one of the year’s best rock songs. The track’s atmosphere even makes it feel like a balloon is about to pop.

Dead Club City does an excellent job utilizing tons of different styles of music and hits the mark most of the time. “Keeping You Around” and “Talking To Myself” ultimately do not deliver as well as other tracks on the album. The mixing of indie pop and hip-hop production of the former and the combination of jazz and R&B of the latter are interesting choices but do not seem to flow that well and are somewhat disappointing tracks. On the other hand, the epic Radiohead-esque, synth-pop, avant-garde “Do You Love Me Yet?” works wonderfully, with the string section being one of the main highlights.

Conor Mason’s unreal vocals full of passion, powerful instrumentation from various genres, infectious choruses and insightful lyrics make Dead Club City a rock record you do not want to miss out on.

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