Broken Machine
Nothing But Thieves
Broken Machine gives Nothing But Thieves a strong, restless shape. The guitars can sound heavier and more electronic, the drums take an active role, and Conor Mason has room to move between a close, uncertain delivery and a very large chorus. The album is most convincing when those elements pull together rather than compete to make the strongest impression.
“I Was Just a Kid” is a good introduction because its rhythm section gives the changing textures a firm base. Mason's voice can rise without making the music beneath him seem secondary. “Amsterdam” turns that balance into one of the band's clearest hooks. The chorus has a forceful, almost shouted character, but it remains tied to a melody worth repeating. The impact comes from a shared push rather than one singer reaching another high note.
“I'm Not Made By Design” is similarly effective at making the heavier playing feel purposeful. “Live Like Animals” goes further with fuzz and distorted detail, though its political statements are less precise than the music's energy. The experiment is interesting even when it becomes crowded. “Soda” provides an important contrast through its slower movement and unsettled wish to be someone else. “Particles” also shows how naturally Mason can carry a more vulnerable melody inside a full-band arrangement.
There are moments when the album's emotional language becomes too general, and “Sorry” follows a more predictable path than its strongest neighbors. “Afterlife” is a less decisive ending than the opening deserves. Still, Broken Machine has a clear identity in the relationship between its singer and the musicians around him. James Price's drums are particularly valuable when the songs need to gather force without simply adding another layer. The record's best tracks make a complicated internal feeling sound immediate. “Amsterdam” is the most obvious success, but the less direct movement of “Soda” gives the album a depth that its loudest choruses could not provide alone.
