Moral Panic (album)

Moral Panic is the third studio album by English alternative rock band Nothing but Thieves. The album was released on 23 October 2020 through Sony Music UK.^[12] The album was produced by Mike Crossey, with band member Dominic Craik also producing five songs.

Moral Panic
Studio album by Nothing but Thieves
Released	23 October 2020
Recorded	2019–2020
Genre	Alternative rock indie rock hard rock pop rock
Length	43:02
Label	Sony UK
Producer	Dominic Craik Mike Crossey
Nothing but Thieves chronology
What Did You Think When You Made Me This Way? (2018) Moral Panic (2020) Dead Club City (2023)
Singles from Moral Panic
"Is Everybody Going Crazy?" Released: 18 March 2020^[1] "Real Love Song" Released: 23 June 2020^[2] "Unperson" Released: 28 August 2020^[3] "Impossible" Released: 14 September 2020^[4] "Phobia" Released: 16 October 2020

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	68/100^[9]
Review scores
Source	Rating
Clash	7/10^[5]
Gigwise	^[6]
Kerrang!	2/5^[7]
The Line of Best Fit	7.5/10^[8]
musicOMH	^[10]
Sputnikmusic	4.5/5^[11]

Background

The band started composing the songs for the album in the early 2019.^[13] Although its release coincided with Covid-19 pandemic and a lot of related anxiety and tension in the society, the idea for the album (including its title and even the first single, Is Everybody Going Crazy?) came prior to that^[14] and took inspiration from various social issues in the world.

Release and promotion

Singles

The album was preceded by five singles: lead single "Is Everybody Going Crazy?", released on 18 March 2020;^[1] "Real Love Song", released on 23 June 2020,^[2] "Unperson", released on 28 August 2020,^[3] "Impossible", released on 14 September 2020, and "Phobia", released on 16 October 2020.

Music videos

The music video for "Is Everybody Going Crazy?" premiered on the band's YouTube channel on 25 March 2020. The video was directed by Remi Laudat and co-produced by Juliette Larthe, Chris Murdoch and Yssis McKen. The video features the band in grey rainsuits performing in a dark room with cameras running at various angles and vantage points. On 10 August 2020, "Real Love Song" premiered on the band's YouTube and Vevo channels.

Moral Panic: The Complete Edition

On 29 October 2021, a deluxe version of the album was released comprising the 11 songs from the standard edition with the addition of the five songs from the band's Moral Panic II EP.

Track listing

All songs written by Conor Mason, Joe Langridge-Brown and Dominic Craik, except tracks 4, 5, 7, 8 & 9 by Conor Mason, Joe Langridge-Brown, Dominic Craik, Jim Irvin & Julian Emery.

Moral Panic track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Unperson"	3:24
2.	"Is Everybody Going Crazy?"	3:57
3.	"Moral Panic"	3:40
4.	"Real Love Song"	3:42
5.	"Phobia"	4:04
6.	"This Feels Like the End"	4:02
7.	"Free If We Want It"	3:52
8.	"Impossible"	4:08
9.	"There Was Sun"	4:03
10.	"Can You Afford to Be an Individual?"	3:56
11.	"Before We Drift Away"	4:14
Total length:		43:02

Moral Panic: The Complete Edition track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Unperson"	3:24
2.	"Futureproof"	3:27
3.	"Is Everybody Going Crazy?"	3:57
4.	"Free If We Want It"	3:52
5.	"Miracle, Baby"	3:40
6.	"Impossible"	4:08
7.	"If I Were You"	3:28
8.	"There Was Sun"	4:08
9.	"Can You Afford to Be an Individual?"	3:56
10.	"Phobia"	4:04
11.	"Before We Drift Away"	4:14
12.	"Ce n'est Rien"	3:00
13.	"Moral Panic"	3:40
14.	"Real Love Song"	3:42
15.	"This Feels Like the End"	4:02
16.	"Your Blood"	4:50
Total length:		62:00

Personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.^[15]

Nothing but Thieves

• Philip Blake – bass guitar
• Dominic Craik – guitar, programming (all tracks); producer (1, 3–5, 11)
• Joe Langridge-Brown – guitar
• Conor Mason – vocals
• James Price – drums

Technical

• Mike Crossey – programming, producer, mixing engineer
• Robin Schmidt – mastering engineer
• Stephen Sesso – engineer

Artwork

• Steve Stacey – art direction, design
• Tom Andrew – photography

Charts

Chart performance for Moral Panic

Chart (2020)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)^[16]	8
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)^[17]	38
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)^[18]	21
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)^[19]	70
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)^[20]	5
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)^[21]	35
Italian Albums (FIMI)^[22]	42
Polish Albums (ZPAV)^[23]	21
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)^[24]	28
UK Albums (OCC)^[25]	3

Certifications

Certifications for Moral Panic

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)^[26]	Silver	60,000^‡
^‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

1. . ABC News Radio. 18 March 2020. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
2. . ABC News Radio. 23 June 2020. Archived from the original on 16 January 2023. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
3. "Nothing but Thieves shares new song, "Unperson"". ABC News Radio. 28 August 2020. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
4. Leiber, Sarah Jae. "Nothing But Thieves Release New Track 'Impossible'". BroadwayWorld.com.
5. Gemma Ross (23 October 2020). "Nothing But Thieves – Moral Panic". Clash. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
6. Smith, Harrison (21 October 2020). "Album Review: Nothing but Thieves - Moral Panic | Gigwise". Gigwise. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
7. Richardson, Jake (22 October 2020). "Album Review: Nothing but Thieves – Moral Panic". Kerrang!. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
8. Scanlon, Kelly (19 October 2020). "Nothing but Thieves' Moral Panic is a 2020 prophecy and a call for a much-needed uprising". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
9. "Moral Panic by Nothing But Thieves". Metacritic. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
10. Johnson, Chloe (21 October 2020). "Nothing but Thieves - Moral Panic | Album Reviews". musicOMH. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
11. SowingSeason (25 October 2020). "Nothing But Thieves – Moral Panic". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
12. Richards, Will (24 June 2020). "Nothing but Thieves announce new album 'Moral Panic' with single 'Real Love Song'". NME Australia. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
13. Nothing But Thieves - Moral Panic (Track by Track Ep.1), retrieved 23 October 2021
14. Nothing But Thieves - Is Everybody Going Crazy? (Track by Track Ep.3), retrieved 23 October 2021
15. "Credits / Moral Panic / Nothing But Thieves". Tidal. 23 October 2020. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
16. "Australiancharts.com – Nothing but Theives – Moral Panic". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
17. "Austriancharts.at – Nothing but Theives – Moral Panic" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
18. "Ultratop.be – Nothing but Theives – Moral Panic" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
19. "Ultratop.be – Nothing but Theives – Moral Panic" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
20. "Dutchcharts.nl – Nothing but Theives – Moral Panic" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
21. "Offiziellecharts.de – Nothing but Theives – Moral Panic" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
22. "Italiancharts.com – Nothing but Theives – Moral Panic". Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
23. "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
24. "Swisscharts.com – Nothing but Theives – Moral Panic". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
25. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
26. "British album certifications – Nothing But Thieves – Moral Panic". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 5 May 2023.