Nightbird (Erasure album)

Nightbird
Studio album by Erasure
Released 25 January 2005
Recorded 2004
Genre Synthpop
Length 43:16
Label Mute Records
Producer Erasure
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"
    Released: 20 June 2005
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [1]
Entertainment.ie [2]

Nightbird is the eleventh full-length studio album by the British synthpop band Erasure. Produced by Erasure, it was released on 25 January 2005 by Mute Records in the UK and the U.S.

History

Nightbird proved to be both critically and commercially successful despite charting no higher than number 27 in UK, thanks to positive reviews by music critics who dubbed it both a "mature masterpiece" and "return to form" - meaning meticulously produced, shimmering three-minute pop songs. 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. Although no singles from the album charted on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, two of them hit the top ten on the Hot 100 Singles Sales chart. "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.

Track listing

All tracks written by Andy Bell and Vince Clarke.

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

Chart performance

Chart (2005) Peak
position
Danish Albums Chart[3] 25
German Albums Chart[4] 22
Swedish Albums Chart[5] 34
UK Albums Chart[6] 27
U.S. Billboard 200 Chart[7] 154
U.S. Billboard Top Electronic Albums Chart[7] 2
U.S. Billboard Top Independent Albums Chart[7] 7

References

  1. ↑ Allmusic review
  2. ↑ Entertainment.ie review at the Wayback Machine (archived November 22, 2007)
  3. ↑ Steffen Hung. "Erasure - Nightbird". danishcharts.com. Retrieved 2012-06-24.
  4. ↑ "charts.de". charts.de. 24 January 2005. Retrieved 2012-06-24.
  5. ↑ Steffen Hung. "Erasure - Nightbird". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 2012-06-24.
  6. ↑ "The Official Charts Company - Nightbird by Erasure Search". The Official Charts Company. 6 May 2013.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Erasure. "Erasure - Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-06-24.