The Help Machine | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | October 18, 2019 | |||
Genre | Rock | |||
Length | 36 minutes | |||
Label | 33 1/3 Records | |||
Producer | Steve Berlin | |||
Fastball chronology | ||||
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Singles from The Help Machine | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [1] |
The Austin Chronicle | [2] |
The Alternate Root | [3] |
The Help Machine is the seventh studio album by American rock band Fastball.
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]
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]
Guest musicians