Hand Built by Robots

by Newton Faulkner

Overview

Hand Built by Robots is the debut album by British singer/songwriter Newton Faulkner, who has been compared to many of his peers whom he supported on their U.K. tours, including James Morrison and Paolo Nutini. The intentions of the album are made clear on "Intro," 34 seconds of acoustic guitar picking, and as he moves into the album proper on the tracks "To the Light" and the first single to be released, "I Need Something," there is more of the same: pleasant songs with a minimum of backing. "All I Got" reminds one of Extreme's "More Than Words" and on the second single, "Dream Catch Me," there is much more meat on the bones of the song -- and this finally propelled him into the Top Ten for the first time. For just over a minute, one really is wafted away to an Indian restaurant on the mini track/interlude "Sitar-y Thing," and there are several of these short interludes scattered throughout the second half of the album, including "Face Her" and "She's Got the Time," which wouldn't sound out of place on one of Paul Simon's world record albums. A cover of the Massive Attack ethereal song "Teardrop" is stripped bare and translated to an acoustic version with none of the power of the original, but possibly more feeling. The album entered the charts at number three and, surprisingly, climbed to the very top several weeks later. ~ Sharon Mawer

Product Details

Release Date:	09/24/2008
Label:	Bmg / Bmg Japan
UPC:	4988017663134
Rank:	183664

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Newton Faulkner   Primary Artist,Guitar,Washboard,Percussion,Bass,Drums,Organ,Piano,Sitar,Vocals
Ben Thomas   Bass,Drums,Piano,Keyboards,Fender Rhodes
Crispin Robinson   Percussion
Matthew Truscott   Violin
Andy McKim   Keyboards,Fender Rhodes
McKim Singers   Choir/Chorus
Tommy Dunn   Viola
Adam Argyle   Guitar (Acoustic)
Crispin Hunt   Guitar
Mike Spencer   Keyboards,Synthesizer Bass,Guitar (Electric)
Ross Hamilton   Bass

Technical Credits

Newton Faulkner   Engineer,Composer
Andrew Vowles   Composer
Steve Stacey   Design,Art Direction
Grantley Marshall   Composer
Andy McKim   Mixing,Engineer,Producer,Programming
Adam Argyle   Composer
Crispin Hunt   Composer
Elizabeth Fraser   Composer
Robert del Naja   Composer
Mike Spencer   Mixing,Producer,Programming