Nothing But Thieves: How food critic Jay Rayner helped the direction of new album

The phrase "concept album" is enough to strike fear into the heart of many music fans.

For every masterpiece (David Bowie's Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust, The Who's Quadrophenia), there's a colossal dud like Muse's Drones, with its revelatory thesis that war is, like, bad.

So when Essex five-piece Nothing But Thieves started toying with the idea of a concept album last year, they were aware of the pitfalls.

"I thought it was incredibly basic to write an album that simply said, 'Here's a dystopian future and it's all bad and evil'," says guitarist and chief songwriter Joe Langridge-Brown.

Instead, he came up with the idea of Dead Club City - a walled-off megacity that he uses to discuss privilege and segregation in an increasingly divided world.

"It's essentially a members-only club, at a time when the whole idea of status is changing," he says.

"Power is lying more and more in the hands of the wealthy and the people in charge of technology and social media. So I was wondering what it would be like if they became the de facto heads of state, instead of a government."

The idea of a fictional, independent city-state allowed him to move beyond the band's 2020's Moral Panic album, which railed against the threats of climate change, culture wars and extremism.

Instead, he explored what would happen if the forces of chaos and division were taken to an extreme, and one section of society simply opted out.

"The album explores lots of different points of view," he says. "Some people are excited about the prospect of this place, other people change their minds as the album goes on."

As the saying goes, inspiration comes when you least expect it - and Langridge-Brown credits food critic Jay Rayner for helping him unlock Nothing But Thieves' fourth record.

"He advertised a writing course just after the pandemic," the guitarist explains.

"It was for journalists, and specifically food journalists, because it was about writing about the same topic, food, but being able to keep it entertaining for the reader.

"I think that's absolutely invaluable for a songwriter. How many songs can you write about love and keep it new and fresh and engaging? So I got a lot out of it."

The musician says Rayner's best bit of advice was: "If you're not sure where you're going, put it in the first sentence."

That, in turn, inspired the album's opening track, Welcome To The DCC, which was conceived as an advert for the utopian members-only club.

A glossy disco-rock hybrid, it's peppered with slogans ("sunlit uplands" and "take back control") that echo the real-world promises made by a certain brand of populist politician.

"For me," says singer Conor Mason, "it's about being sold a dream, then being sold down the river. I think it's something we can all relate to over the last few years."

In black and white, the album's themes could sound heavy-handed. But musically, Nothing But Thieves are at their thrilling best.

Each song is told from the point of view of one of the city's residents, giving the band the opportunity to demolish and rebuild their sound track-by-track.

Overcome, which follows two young lovers on their way the city, has the driving, open-road sheen of Tom Petty and Don Henley; while the low-slung hip-hop beats of Keeping You Around mark the first signs of discontent inside the dome.

Closing track Pop The Balloon is a scabrous onslaught of cactus-prick guitar riffs, as the inhabitants fall out and the seeds of revolution are sown.

"Some of the characters from throughout the album are speaking at different times in that song," says Langridge-Brown. "That's why it feels chaotic. It's the heaviest thing on the record."

As frontman, Mason commits to the idea of playing different characters, finding new registers and vocal modes to propel the story along.

"I get tired of just doing the big rock vocal," he says. "I'm a massive soul and R&B fan, that's what I grew up singing, and I like challenging myself to show another side to my voice."

He pushes himself to the limit on City Haunts, with a trouser-tightening falsetto that conveys a creeping sense of unease as he realises the "sleazeball" citizens of Dead Club City aren't the sort of people you'd want to spend eternity with.

The high notes were inspired by his love of Al Green and Prince - but does he worry about replicating them live?

"I had classical training when I was a kid," he laughs. "So whatever I choose to do with my throat, it's always supported."

Formed in Southend 11 years ago, Nothing But Thieves have always balanced their rock credentials with a knack for pop.

They achieved early success with the single Itch, whose wailing vocals and laser-beam guitar riffs found a sympathetic home on BBC Radio 1 and won the band support slots with Twenty One Pilots and Arcade Fire.

Future single Trip Switch featured on the soundtrack to Fifa 16, gaining them a whole new audience; while their second LP, Broken Machine, was named one of the best rock albums of 2017 by the Independent.

Australia and Japan, in particular, have fallen for the band's theatrical, melodic rock songs - and they've gained a fearsome live reputation, even attracting the attention of the Rolling Stones, who invited them to play in France last summer.

One of the reasons for their success, they suggest, is that they're not shy of a big pop hook.

"Some bands are scared of writing choruses, and we're just not one of them," says Langridge-Brown.

"There's always been this pop sensibility with us," agrees Mason. "It's all about having a great song, a well-structured song, with a great chorus."

"There are cooler ways of writing a song, but I don't necessarily think they're better," Langridge-Brown continues.

"I understand the phenomenon, because if you get [the chorus] wrong, it can sound cheesy - so sometimes it's better to not reach for it and be like, 'Oh, no, we don't do that. We're a cool indie band.'"

According to the UK midweek charts, Dead Club City is on course to give the band their first number one album.

The only real competition is Elton John, whose greatest hits album is still enjoying a post-Glastonbury boost - but the band are studiously avoiding updates from their record label.

"We're not letting it dictate our mood too much," says Langridge-Brown. "I mean it's Elton bloody John!"

Even so, the band have stocked their tour bus with celebratory goodies, in case there's good news on Friday evening.

"I imagine it'll be a very boozy bus to France," laughs Mason.

And with the concept album raising their profile higher than ever, are there any thoughts of a second chapter?

"Not a whole album," says Langridge-Brown. "But every now and again, we could write a song from the city and be like, 'This is just another part of the story'.

"The whole metaphor of some people being inside this exclusive club and some people being outside isn't going to go away, so I think we can always go back to it," adds Mason.

"It should never have a perfect ending."