Nightbird (Erasure album)

Nightbird
Studio album by Erasure
Released	25 January 2005
Recorded	2004 (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
"Breathe" Released: 3 January 2005 "Don't Say You Love Me" Released: 21 March 2005 "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.

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 songs written by Vince Clarke and Andy Bell

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
US Billboard 200[7]	154
US Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums Chart[8]	2

References

1. ^ Allmusic review
2. ^ Entertainment.ie review
3. ^ http://www.danishcharts.com/
4. ^ http://www.musicline.de/
5. ^ http://www.swedishcharts.com/
6. ^ http://www.chartstats.com/
7. ^ http://www.billboard.com/
8. ^ http://www.billboard.com/#/artist/erasure/chart-history/4558?f=322&g=Albums