Nothing But Thieves - Moral Panic (Review)

Nothing But Thieves are back with album #3, and this is another long review...

23rd October 2020

Sony

My Rating:

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4.5

/10

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REVIEW

Before getting into this review, I think it's important to present the perspective I have going into this release, particularly given my former affinity for the band that lead me to attend their phenomenal show at Alexandra Palace in London. It was, I believe, something of a volta for my sentiments towards the band, and something that stems from my enjoyment of that very show. It wasn't simply that their performances of songs translated better into a live setting, or that their performances were any better than on the studio versions of the songs, no, the realisation I came to was that the band's songs were poorly produced, and plagued with small but compounding issues in the production that detracted greatly from the experience of the songs, an experience that was ratified by the live show I attended.

What better place to begin than with the sound of Moral Panic, which marks for the most prevalent change from past releases, at least on a surface level standing out as their most sonically diverse, ambitious, and varied album. In this way, Nothing But Thieves have certainly moved forward with the times, reflecting the current norm in releasing an album in which different songs will take on entirely different subgenres, forming an impressively diverse array of tracks that can offer far more than more traditionally similar records. That being said, the challenge then becomes keeping the album together, as with so many different styles and directions it is far more difficult to be coherent and consistent; songs are much more likely to fail to operate at the album level in this scenario, regardless of their performance or success at an individual level. Is it unfair to judge an album like this? No. Nothing But Thieves released it as an album, and I shall judge it as such.

This begs the question - just how well does this operate at an album level? Well, in my opinion, it doesn't work nearly as well as should. I'm going to draw a comparison to The Voidz' album Virtue, a similarly sprawling, genre-hopping and potentially confusing record that actually features more sonic variation than Moral Panic, despite holding itself steady throughout its fifteen tracks. The reason it was able to achieve such a cohesive feel was due to the prevailing concept that stood at the forefront of every track, the concept of holding on in an apocalyptic time, of building up when things have broken down. It worked as an effective sequel or response to their previous album in this way, as that was all to do with tearing things down and laying the stage for Virtue. Now, within Virtue the band are able to explore not just a variety of sonic styles, but also of lyrical ones, and they do that by consistently working within the framework of the album. This is where Nothing But Thieves fail.

I chose to compare this album to The Voidz for this reason, but also for the similarities in what the band are trying to achieve in a cross-album kind of progression. Nothing But Thieves were similarly absorbed in self destruction on their last album Broken Machine, and within that they explored both the political and mental health aspects of that concept. Where that album stumbled was in its structure, including moments of positivity and optimism that were poorly integrated and lacking in terms of a chronology that would have aided its overall impact, and that is unfortunately a problem shared by Moral Panic. Although it is undeniable that Moral Panic is a progression from Broken Machine, it feels like far more of a continuation rather than a response, and it certainly fails to be an evolution. It deals with the exact same themes of political and mental decline, and once again doesn't provide any kind of narrative or even the kind of song-by-song exploration that Virtue does. 

No, this album is only consistent in one aspect and that is in its confusion, fumbling between the romantic, political and mental. This interconnection of three distinct themes could easily help to compliment each one, particularly through interaction between them, but instead they are blurred and muddled indistinctly together, the only cause an effect the obvious political having an effect on Conor's mental health, which itself is a poorly executed concept when the majority of content is just him stating that is the case, once again lacking in depth or exploration, creating more frustration and providing more missed opportunities.

The lack of structural awareness or cohesion is further exemplified when focusing on the internal structure within songs. Across the album, the band attempts to display their growth through bold changes between sections of a song, whether that be simply a dynamic one like on "Impossible" or a total instrumental shift on "Phobia", awkwardly moving between its slow, slinking first half into an explosive romper on the second half, utilising some horribly timed drums to initiate this transition. Earlier, on the album's opening track "Unperson", the band have been influenced clearly by industrial leaning rock such as Nine Inch Nails, taking their song in a bombastic, heavily electronic final section instead of a chorus. Now, this section on its own is fine enough, but the song moves into it without any real warning or build-up, and then just cuts off to end the song. What this does is take away from any weight the section could have had, leaving me utterly cold to what was an admirably ambitious song, particularly lyrically.

Elsewhere, the album's lead singles provide more questionable content, with "Is Everybody Going Crazy?" feeling like the most safe choice of a single they could have made, its disjointed intro leading into a genuinely interesting verse that is utterly let down by a chorus that lacks any punch whatsoever. Combine this with a shameful lack of bass (thanks again Mike Crossey, the band's producer who continues leaves something undercooked in the mix) as well as the strange, unnecessary synth which burbles away in the background, not complimenting the thin, unimpactful guitars and providing a contrast in tone that isn't antithetical enough to be interesting or cohesive enough to be engaging. The other single is "Real Love Song", a track that has flipped in my mind a few times before hearing it in the context of the album and deciding that its attempts to be anthemic are in vain. In fact, the "alternate version" the band released of this song functions far better in my opinion, not striving for the same anthemics that the song clearly isn't cut out for but instead increasing its minimalism to provide an experience far more intimate, and consequently more enjoyable.

Some of the songs on the album actually reminded me far more of their earlier styles from their debut album, a look back that I feel provided the album's standout track "There Was Sun", a song I seem to be in the minority for taking note of given how little I've heard about it from people reviewing or discussing this album. To me, this song fulfils everything I could ask for, as it boasts a catchy hook; a balanced mix that doesn't leave certain instruments without the weight they need and a functioning structure in which the song goes through distinct sections that all flow into one another beautifully and sound great on their own and together. Moreover, it is an exploration of the album's main themes without the compromise of cringe-worthy lyrics, and thus my only complaint is that I had to wait until track nine for this!

Overall, I really can't say that this album impressed me, becoming more bogged down by the issues that have come to characterise Nothing But Thieves for me rather than escaping or outgrowing them, despite what their last EP promised. This may have swept some fans away simply for its ambition, but even with a wider array of influences this time around they remain unable to convince me that they are more worthwhile. On top of this, the usually exceptional vocals of Conor Mason felt somewhat lacking here, either due to the disconnect that haunts each aspect of the album or simply because his standout moments just didn't shine as bright as they previously have. Sorry to say, but I'm just not feeling this album, certainly their weakest yet.

TRACK RATINGS (/10)

1. Unperson - 4

2. Is Everybody Going Crazy? - 3

3. Moral Panic - 5

4. Real Love Song - 3

5. Phobia - 3

6. This Feels Like The End - 4

7. Free If We Want It - 4

8. Impossible - 4

9. There Was Sun - 8

10. Can You Afford To Be An Individual - 7

11. Before We Drift Away - 4

BREAKDOWN

Ambition: 7

Atmosphere: 5

Catchiness/Enjoyability: 4

Content/Ideas: 5

Emotion/Engaging: 4

Execution: 3

Production: 2

Structure: 2

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Lyrics: 6

Vocals/Flows: 7

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Total: 45

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