The Help Machine

The Help Machine is the seventh studio album by American rock band Fastball.

The Help Machine
Studio album by
Fastball
ReleasedOctober 18, 2019
GenreRock
Length36 minutes
Label33 1/3 Records
ProducerSteve Berlin
Fastball chronology
Step Into Light
(2017)		 The Help Machine
(2019)		 Soundtrack - EP
(2022)
Singles from The Help Machine
  1. "The Help Machine"
    Released: 2018
  2. "White Collar"
    Released: 2019
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
The Austin Chronicle[2]
The Alternate Root[3]

Background

Produced by Steve Berlin of Los Lobos, Berlin personally selected the tracks[4] for the album from a list of songs provided to him by Tony Scalzo and Miles Zuniga.[5] Berlin recruited bassist Bruce Hughes to play bass,[6] reuniting Hughes with band, and allowing him to take over bass duties from Scalzo.[7] This freed Scalzo to concentrate on keyboards and guitar.[8]

This album marks the first time since The Harsh Light of Day that a Fastball album does not feature songs co-written by Scalzo and Zuniga.[5]

The first single off of the album, The Help Machine, addresses the effects of consumerism. According to Zuniga, "[the song is] just about emptiness and the feeling that things that are supposed to make us happy don't."[9]

Critical reception

Described as "ethereal",[10] the album also features the band's signature sound with comparisons to Elvis Costello[11] and the Beatles.[12] Pop Matters magazine referred to the album as "pop perfection."[13] The album features a "thick modern sound"[14] and is considered to be a great introduction to the band's catalog. Critics called the album "near perfect"[15] and considered it one of the best albums of 2019.[16]

To support the album, Tony Scalzo and Miles Zuniga performed live tracks for Paste Magazine.[17]

Track listing
  1. "Friend Or Foe" (Miles Zuniga) – 3:56
  2. "White Collar" (Tony Scalzo) – 3:31
  3. "Holding The Devil's Hand" (Miles Zuniga) – 3:12
  4. "Redeemed" (Miles Zuniga) – 3:04
  5. "All Gone Fuzzy" (Tony Scalzo) – 3:17
  6. "The Help Machine" (Miles Zuniga) – 4:14
  7. "Surprise Surprise" (Miles Zuniga) – 3:32
  8. "The Girl You Pretended To Be" (Tony Scalzo) – 2:18
  9. "I Go South" (Miles Zuniga) – 2:31
  10. "Doesn't It Make You Feel Small" (Tony Scalzo) – 2:56
  11. "Never Say Never" (Miles Zuniga) – 3:11

Personnel

Guest musicians

References
  1. Allmusic review
  2. "Fastball: The Help Machine Album Review". The Austin Chronicle.
  3. "fastball the help machine". The Alternate Root.
  4. Ruggiero, Bob. "Fastball Looks for Answers to Life's Issues from The Help Machine". Houston Press.
  5. Development, PodBean. "Episode 240 - Joey Shuffield of Fastball". thehustle.podbean.com.
  6. "MAGNET Exclusive: Premiere Of Fastball's "The Help Machine"". August 1, 2019.
  7. "NOTHING TRICKY ABOUT THIS SONIC PITCH, JUST a SCORCHING… Fastball". 2 November 2019.
  8. "Music Minded: Fastball releases details on forthcoming album 'The Help Machine'". August 1, 2019.
  9. Graff, Gary (October 14, 2019). "Fastball's 'The Help Machine' Video Sends Up the Emptiness of Consumerism: Premiere". Billboard.
  10. Pozzolano, Vincent (October 17, 2019). "Fastball – The Help Machine (Album Review)".
  11. "Fastball Try Out Different Rock Sounds on Steve Berlin-Produced LP 'The Help Machine' (ALBUM REVIEW)". 16 October 2019.
  12. "Fastball, The Help Machine, 2019".
  13. "Fastball's "The Girl You Pretended to Be" Is Pop Perfection (premiere + interview), PopMatters". September 9, 2019.
  14. "babysue: Comics, Poetry, and Reviews by LMNOP (aka dONW7) - October 2019". babysue.com.
  15. "October 2019". October 4, 2019.
  16. "The 25 best albums of 2019". Yardbarker. March 31, 2020.
  17. "Fastball – The Help Machine". Paste Magazine. September 14, 2019.


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