Nightbird (Erasure album)

Nightbird is the eleventh studio album by English synth-pop duo Erasure, released by Mute Records on 24 January 2005 in the United Kingdom and on 25 January 2005 in the United States.

Nightbird
Studio album by
Erasure
Released24 January 2005
Recorded2004
StudioUnion Street (Brooklyn, New York)
GenreSynth-pop
Length43:09
LabelMute
ProducerErasure
Erasure chronology
Other People's Songs
(2003)		 Nightbird
(2005)		 Union Street
(2006)
Singles from Nightbird
  1. "Breathe"
    Released: 3 January 2005
  2. "Don't Say You Love Me"
    Released: 21 March 2005
  3. "Here I Go Impossible Again" / "All This Time Still Falling Out of Love"
    Released: 20 June 2005
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic53/100[1]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
BillboardFavourable[3]
The Guardian[4]
Playlouder[5]
Rolling Stone[6]
Slant Magazine[7]

History

Nightbird received mixed reviews and was only a moderate commercial success, charting no higher than number 27 in UK. Despite the mixed critical reception, many longtime fans of the band hailed it as a return to the sound and feel of classic Erasure albums like Wonderland and Chorus. Singer Andy Bell's revelation that he was HIV-positive just prior to the album's release shed new meaning on the songs' introspective and sometimes melancholy lyrics.

The album's first single "Breathe" entered the UK Singles Chart at number four – Erasure's highest peak since "Always" hit number four in 1994. No singles from the album charted on the U.S. "Breathe" became Erasure's second number-one on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart – their first being "Victim of Love" in 1987.

A massive concert tour accompanied this album which travelled across Europe and the UK as well as North America. The tour, dubbed The Erasure Show, featured the extravagant set designs and costume changes Erasure is known for. The tour wrapped up in June 2005.

The album graphic artwork was made by the British artist Rob Ryan.

Nightbird was Erasure's first studio album not to be issued on vinyl; none of the three singles were released commercially on vinyl, although promotional remix 12"s exist. A vinyl version was finally released in 2016 for the band's 30th anniversary.

Critical reception

Nightbird was met with "mixed or average" reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, this release received an average score of 53 based on 14 reviews.[1]

In a review for AllMusic, critic reviewer David Jeffries wrote: "Bell's dealings with HIV have obviously influenced Nightbird, but he rarely points right to it, making the album adaptable to any listener's own introspection. Smart, moving, approachable, and well constructed, Nightbird is Erasure's mature masterpiece."[2] Christian Hoard from Rolling Stone explained: "Nightbird is full of elegant dance pop topped by the choirboy-like Bell singing about love, heartache and dreams. One could easily mistake Nightbird for something the duo made in the Eighties."[6]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Andy Bell and Vince Clarke

Nightbird track listing
No.TitleLength
1."No Doubt"3:59
2."Here I Go Impossible Again"3:41
3."Let's Take One More Rocket to the Moon"4:45
4."Breathe"3:49
5."I'll Be There"3:20
6."Because Our Love Is Real"3:39
7."Don't Say You Love Me"4:01
8."All This Time Still Falling Out of Love"4:16
9."I Broke It All in Two"3:39
10."Sweet Surrender"3:59
11."I Bet You're Mad at Me"4:01

2016 "Erasure 30" 30th anniversary BMG reissue LP

Subsequent to their acquisition of Erasure's back catalog, and in anticipation of the band's 30th anniversary, BMG commissioned reissues of all previously released UK editions of Erasure albums up to and including 2007's Light at the End of the World. All titles were pressed and distributed by Play It Again Sam on 180-gram vinyl and shrinkwrapped with a custom anniversary sticker.

This marked the first release of this album on vinyl.

Charts

References
  1. "Nightbird by Erasure". Metacritic. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  2. Jeffries, David. "AllMusic Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  3. "Billboard Review". Billboard. Archived from the original on 7 May 2005. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  4. Sullivan, Caroline (21 January 2005). "The Guardian Review". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  5. Heawood, Sophie (4 February 2005). "Playlouder Review". Playlouder. Archived from the original on 8 February 2005. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  6. Hoard, Christian (27 January 2005). "Rolling Stone Review". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 27 March 2005. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  7. Cinquemani, Sal (25 January 2005). "Slant Magazine Review". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  8. "CAPIF Argentina - Ranking Semanal desde 27/02/2005 hasta 05/03/2005". CAPIF Argentina. Archived from the original on 10 March 2005. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  9. "Oficiální česká hitparáda IFPI ČR – 5. týden 2005". Marketing & Media (in Czech). 4 February 2005. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  10. "Danishcharts.dk – Erasure – Nightbird". Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  11. "Offiziellecharts.de – Erasure – Nightbird" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  12. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  13. "Swedishcharts.com – Erasure – Nightbird". Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  14. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  15. "Erasure Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  16. "Erasure Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  17. "Erasure Chart History (Top Dance/Electronic Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  18. "2005 Year End Charts – Top Electronic Albums". Billboard. 26 November 2005. Archived from the original on 8 October 2012. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
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