Hand Built by Robots
| Hand Built by Robots | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Newton Faulkner | ||||
| Released | 30 July 2007 | |||
| Recorded | Autumn 2005–Spring 2007 | |||
| Genre | Folk rock, pop rock | |||
| Length | 47:50 | |||
| Label | Ugly Truth Records | |||
| Producer | Mike Spencer/Andy McKim | |||
| Newton Faulkner chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Hand built by Robots | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Insiders' Guides |    Review |
| Allmusic | Review |
| Billboard | Review |
| Click Music | |
| entertainment.ie | Review |
| Gilde | Review |
| The Guardian | Review |
| IndieLondon | Review |
| Times Online | Review |
Hand Built by Robots is the debut studio album by English singer-songwriter Newton Faulkner, released on 30 July 2007 on Ugly Truth Records. Preceded by the single "Dream Catch Me", the album initially charted at #3 in the UK album chart, and subsequently reached #1 in its fourth week. Regarding the album's success, Faulkner stated. "I don't think anyone involved in Hand Built by Robots actually thought it would do that at all."[1]
Writing and composition
Regarding the album's composition, Faulkner stated, in 2009, that the album was "actually quite rushed in a lot of ways. 'Dream Catch Me' was actually released before we finished the album, so we had to move really fast to complete Hand Built By Robots. The album wasn't the culmination of ten years worth of writing, but was a few months of panic, and a couple of things I had lying around - a couple of older songs that were still good enough to be used. [...] A lot of Hand Built By Robot's songs were written in the last few months leading up to recording, as I became better at writing."[1]
Four tracks on the album were co-written with former Longpigs vocalist Crispin Hunt and two were co-written by Adam Argyle, who is perhaps best known for writing "Next Best Superstar" for Melanie C.
Lyrics
The album's lyrics mainly explore dreams, aspirations and observations on society.
Track listing
All tracks written by Newton Faulkner, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Intro" | 0:34 | |
| 2. | "To the Light" | 2:40 | |
| 3. | "I Need Something" | 2:57 | |
| 4. | "All I Got" | Newton Faulkner, Crispin Hunt | 3:21 |
| 5. | "Dream Catch Me" | C. Hunt, N. Faulkner, Gordon Mills | 3:56 |
| 6. | "Feels Like Home" | 3:12 | |
| 7. | "Teardrop" | Robert Del Naja, Grantley Marshall, Andrew Vowles, Elizabeth Fraser | 3:09 |
| 8. | "Gone in the Morning" | N. Faulkner, Toby Faulkner | 2:21 |
| 9. | "Sitar-y Thing" | 1:19 | |
| 10. | "Uncomfortably Slow" | N. Faulkner, Adam Argyle | 3:28 |
| 11. | "Straight Towards the Sun" | N. Faulkner, C. Hunt | 3:39 |
| 12. | "People Should Smile More" | N. Faulkner, A. Argyle, C. Hunt | 3:29 |
| 13. | "She's Got the Time" | N. Faulkner, T. Faulkner | 1:20 |
| 14. | "U.F.O" | N. Faulkner, T. Faulkner | 2:36 |
| 15. | "Face (Her)" | 0:39 | |
| 16. | "Ageing Superhero" | 3:22 | |
| 17. | "Lullaby" | 1:37 |
| Bonus tracks | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
| 18. | "Full Fat" (exclusive to iTunes) | 2:50 | |
| 19. | "Dream Catch Me" (instrumental) | C. Hunt, N. Faulkner, G. Mills | 4:09 |
Chart performance
Hand Built by Robots was certified platinum and later double platinum,[2] in the United Kingdom, and was the twentieth best-selling album of 2007, selling 444,000 copies.
The album debuted at #26 on the Australian ARIA Albums Chart in March 2008. It subsequently ascended fifteen places the following week to #11, and then to #8. The album eventually peaked at #5 the week after.[3] It has since been certified Gold on the ARIA charts.
The album was released in Germany on 18 April 2008, and in the United States (it did not have massive success in the U.S. but did manage to reach #42 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart) and Canada on 29 April 2008, with the first single being "Dream Catch Me".[4]
References
- 1 2 http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/interviews/hit_the_lights/newton_faulkner_limitation_opens_up_other_bits_of_your_brain.html
- ↑ "British certification for Hand Built by Robots".British Phonographic Industry. 7 March 2008. Retrieved 13 February 2009.
- ↑ Top 50 Albums Chart Australian Record Industry Association, 24 March 2008, Retrieved 24 March 2008
- ↑ Newton Faulkner Album Preview and Tour Dates, news.jamradio.org 24 March 2008, Retrieved 24 March 2008
| Preceded by Elvis The King |
UK Albums Chart number-one album 26 August 2007 – 2 September 2007 |
Succeeded by Once Upon a Time in the West by Hard-Fi |