NOTHING BUT THIEVES

"Welcome To The DCC" and "Overcome" were a welcome foretaste of the fourth record "Dead Club City", which will be released at the end of the month. This is something of a concept album: eleven tracks tell of the various characters and story arcs in and around the city. Is it a shared consciousness? Another planet? The next industrial wasteland? The sky? Or somewhere else entirely? Thereby the stories around the city, which the band developed themselves, are treated in different media. Music, lyrics, artwork, design and the specially shot videos belong closely together and tell the whole story around Dead Club City. The new single "Overcome" is a case in point: the epic pop song contains hints of nostalgia, but feels captivatingly modern and is unmistakably a typical Nothing But Thieves song. Backed by an anthemic melody and 80s synths, the track builds to an uplifting and euphoric chorus that captures the mood of the album, reflecting the feelings of escapism, hope and new beginnings. The video provides further visual insight, portraying the escape story - or arrival? - of a couple. With the club at the center, it's easy to imagine the real meaning behind Dead Club City. Themes of advertising, unity, internet culture, the music industry, aging, politics, and escapism and change are highlighted through the alienation or privilege of a members-only club. Musically, Nothing But Thieves remain true to themselves: instead of limiting themselves to one style, they once again bring together indie rock guitars with synth chatter to create an overall sound over which Conor Mason's signature voice rises. The way he adapts his vocals to give the tracks their always very own character, the way he can switch back and forth between falsetto pop and rock pipes without a problem or approach, is phenomenal. This coming February, Nothing But Thieves will take us live on an extended tour to their Dead Club City. -