Musical Digest: Nothing But Thieves - "Is Everybody Going Crazy?"

Time to digest a recent release from one of my favorite UK bands, Nothing But Thieves. I'd like to point out that this band has not put out a song that I've not liked. At one point, I've had their music videos and lyrical videos on a loop on my TV nonstop.

There was a period of time where I couldn't get through my day without waking up to their cover of "Crazy" or hum to the beat of "Broken Machine" or even belt out "Amsterdam" at the top of my lungs as I was getting ready to go out.

This is a band I can easily bow down to and thank for its chilling vocals, provocative lyrics, and authenticity.

"Is Everybody Going Crazy?" is the most recent release since the release of 2018 What Did You Think When You Made Me This Way EP and it's safe to say that its title as well as its contents are right on cue.

The song was produced by Mike Crossey, who had worked with the likes of 1975 and twenty one pilot. Conor Mason went in depth to describe the song as "overly riffy" and the chorus was an experiment to take it away from the riff, make it stand out, marveled between every single member of the band, specifically Dominic Craik and Jon Langridge-Brown where "It's a melting pot of a sound and I'm very proud of it".

They've really tried to set themselves apart from their previous records and in its creative process, Conor states that "there is a quiet sadness about the verses. The universe is trying to tell us something, to slow down or press pause because it's all become too much."

While the planet is on pause, let's digest and press play.

I saw you down the neighborhood

And I understood

Spiritual hangover that I can't shake

It's getting more than I can take

And in this restless, disfigured place

We've only got each other

I just wanna go blur the line

And leave our afflictions behind

The sky is coming down

I know it's strange

But heaven's a mindset away

The first verse is an interlude to allow the listener to step outside of themselves and put themselves in the shoes of someone who notices that the world as they had once known is not the same anymore. The world is no longer steered by basic principles of respect and morals to have each other's back. In the brink of all of that, the chorus answers the obvious:

Yeah, everybody's going crazy

Can't get through to you lately

We're so hopelessly faded

Is anyone else feeling lonely?

It just can't be me only

Losing our cool so slowly

It would feel so good to

Steal some time

It would feel so good to

Make you mine

It's an epiphany that highlights that the world has indeed lost their mind. Nothing resonates with anyone anymore. They'll believe anything they hear without really hearing it and it leaves the rest that aren't casted under this spell of doom to feel perplexed and isolated. It'd be great to escape somewhere, but there isn't anywhere to go right now.

This second verse is Conor's verse; one where he believes the universe is sending us signs to slow down and reflect.

You ever thought

We're not ourselves?

'Cause I know it well

I'm ready now

To have a change of skin

The day doesn't set

The world just spins

And in this wounded

Sinister place

We've only got each other

The sky is crashing down

I know it's strange

When heaven's a mindset away

I believe that this verse is telling listeners that while there is no physical oasis, it's important to remember that in a time like this, we are able to reflect on ourselves, our demons, what bothers us the most, what is it that is so notably wrong with the world and how, as citizens of the world, can we fix it...

Then the song goes back to its preliminary affirmation, its chorus.

During this time, many of us are coming to terms with the fact that we can't stand to be alone with our sober minds. For many, the only route to escape is through binge drinking because "there's nothing else better to do" and the people that are resorting to that could not be more wrong. If we aren't able to interject positive change into our lives, then it just shows that this pandemic, this pause, this time away from our daily routine meant nothing.

We've only got each other and the only way we'll come out of it stronger after is if we're actually willing to be anchors for each other.

So while the world is healing, allow your soul to heal too through various outlets.

Check out the behind-the-scenes video below.