Friday, July 11, 2008

The Notwist - The Devil, You + Me

The Notwist
The Devil, You + Me
(06.08, Domino)
Verdict: Welcome back

Remember that great German indie rock meets gorgeous electronica album; Neon Golden? Yes, we all liked it. Well, now you can blow the electronic dust off your iTunes catalogue to prep yourself for a great follow up. The Notwist’s long awaited release entitled The Devil, You + Me picks up where Neon Golden stopped six years ago and begs the listener’s ear to pay more attention to the subtle genius that made us fall in love with Neon Golden. It is catchy and rhythmic and pretty as ever. The tasteful mixture of electronic and orchestral paints a canvas of dark foreboding colors like a good William Turner. The songs (there are eleven) aren’t based on many peaks and valleys. Singer Markus Acher keeps a poker face throughout that feels like a good friend talking softly through the telephone. He doesn’t call a lot of attention to himself rather he compliments his surroundings and lets the chips fall where they may. I suppose what I mean to say is that they are catchy not because of his vocals. The songs bounce around in your head because of the instrumentation. The title track may be my personal favorite, but that is a quick judgment and could easily change over time. It sounds like a song that Wilco should have made. I also found the track “Alphabet” really interesting. Markus sings “I won’t sing you algebra, I won’t sing anything” over some really awesome drum samples and sleigh bells. And the main groove on “On Planet Off” reminds me of a Dust Brothers background. Every track has something special to offer and forms a very polished and complete whole. The Notwist is has given us all another invitation to fall back in love with them.

-King Cotton

The Notwist - "Good Lies"

No comments: