British rock band Nothing But Thieves released the deluxe version of their fourth studio album on March 15th, 2024. Dead Club City (Deluxe) includes 5 more tracks than the original album released in June of 2023—two of which are stripped versions of the second and third songs. “Overcome – Stripped” and “Tomorrow Is Closed – Stripped” act as the most notable tracks on the album because they provide a softer conclusion, similar to the end of Broken Machine (Deluxe). They exist in opposition to the rest of Nothing But Thieves’s music, which is often likened to Muse and typically features strong instrumental breaks and electronic additions.
On the other hand, Dead Club City (Deluxe)‘s opening song makes several political references, which encourages the listener to interpret the next track as a call for political and social unification. As the lyrics state, “It’s when we lean in, into the moment / It’s when we’re reachin’ through the divide / It’s when we begin feelin’ the open / It’s when the stranger’s fallen behind / When we shake off the darkness and harness the light.”
Nothing But Thieves doesn’t shy away from discussing social and political subjects throughout the rest of the album as well. For example, “Tomorrow is Closed” explicitly draws attention to the consequences of climate change, “Members Only” refers to elitism, and “Oh No :: He Said What?” is a critique of cancel culture and the commodification of music artists. Many of the songs on this album (previous mentions included) feature futuristic music production, suggesting that “Dead Club City” is another name for our future.
Personally, I’m partial to “Welcome to the DCC,” “Tomorrow is Closed,” “Oh No :: He Said What?,” and “Time :: Fate :: Karma :: God” because they emulate the musical style that made Nothing But Thieves popular. Their lyricism, musicality, and their ability to get an audience to acknowledge their complacency in complex issues make them striking as well. However, stylistically, it’s hard to top albums like Broken Machine and Moral Panic, which each had several songs that garnered a lot of support. In comparison, the consensus seems to be that this album is missing that aspect; it’s missing those few hard-hitting tracks but is still enjoyable nonetheless.
This new album—as a whole—tackles themes of cyberculture, escapism, loss of control, and politics; it’s challenging the fanbase and the world at large to push for change. Dead Club City (Deluxe) is a place for listeners to find a home within each other amidst a stressful perpetuation of disastrous world issues. Like much of their other music, this album by Nothing But Thieves seeks to focus on reflection, change, and interrogating our roots. It references past years, political phrases, and previous albums, effectively asking its audience to question where they came from and where they are now in order to determine if a positive future is at all feasible.
Rory Gould is a Junior Writing major who hopes to one day see the full Dead Club City album played live. They can be reached at [email protected]