The Help Machine


The Help Machine is the seventh studio album by American rock band Fastball.

Background

The album was produced by Steve Berlin of Los Lobos, who personally selected the tracks for the album from a list of songs provided to him by members Tony Scalzo and Miles Zuniga. Berlin recruited bassist Bruce Hughes, This freed Scalzo to concentrate on keyboards and guitar.
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.
The first single off of the album, "The Help Machine", addresses the effects of consumerism. According to Zuniga, " just about emptiness and the feeling that things that are supposed to make us happy don't."

Critical reception

Described as "ethereal", the album also features the band's signature sound with comparisons to Elvis Costello and the Beatles. Pop Matters magazine referred to the album as "pop perfection." The album features a "thick modern sound" and is considered to be a great introduction to the band's catalog. Critics called the album "near perfect" and considered it one of the best albums of 2019.
To support the album, Tony Scalzo and Miles Zuniga performed live tracks for Paste Magazine.

Track listing

  1. "Friend or Foe" – 3:56
  2. "White Collar" – 3:31
  3. "Holding the Devil's Hand" – 3:12
  4. "Redeemed" – 3:04
  5. "All Gone Fuzzy" – 3:17
  6. "The Help Machine" – 4:14
  7. "Surprise Surprise" – 3:32
  8. "The Girl You Pretended to Be" – 2:18
  9. "I Go South" – 2:31
  10. "Doesn't It Make You Feel Small" – 2:56
  11. "Never Say Never" – 3:11

Personnel

Guest musicians