Hand Built by Robots

Writing and composition

Regarding the album's composition, Faulkner stated, in 2009, that the album was "actually quite rushed in a lot of ways. 'Dream Catch Me' was actually released before we finished the album, so we had to move really fast to complete Hand Built By Robots. The album wasn't the culmination of ten years worth of writing, but was a few months of panic, and a couple of things I had lying around - a couple of older songs that were still good enough to be used. [...] A lot of Hand Built By Robot's songs were written in the last few months leading up to recording, as I became better at writing."

Four tracks on the album were co-written with former Longpigs vocalist Crispin Hunt and two were co-written by Adam Argyle, who is perhaps best known for writing "Next Best Superstar" for Melanie C.

Track listing

All tracks written by Newton Faulkner, except where noted.

Chart performance

Hand Built by Robots was certified platinum and later double platinum, in the United Kingdom, and was the twentieth best-selling album of 2007, selling 444,000 copies.

The album debuted at #26 on the Australian ARIA Albums Chart in March 2008. It subsequently ascended fifteen places the following week to #11, and then to #8. The album eventually peaked at #5 the week after. It has since been certified Gold on the ARIA charts.

The album was released in Germany on 18 April 2008, and in the United States (it did not have massive success in the U.S. but did manage to reach #42 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart) and Canada on 29 April 2008, with the first single being "Dream Catch Me".