The Notwist blew pretty
much everyone away with their second release,
the Abbey
Road-recorded "Neon Golden." It was, and still is, a killer, a
near-masterpiece
of swooping electronic bloops & bleeps, great
lyrics
and heroic
melody, "OK Computer" (also recorded at Abbey Road), the
obvious
reference point.
Therefore it seemed unlikely these German guys
were
going to be able
to repeat.
But for those who
believe and new initiates alike, "The Devil, You + Me"
does the damn
thing, again----golden hooks, killer lyrics and lilting,
often soaring
melodies. This is much to sleep and/or to dance to.
Overshadowed by
labelmates Arctic Monkeys bustin'-through-the-wall-of
Myspace-success,
The Notwist sound like the kind of band that would be
quite comfortable
living in the shadows. "One With The Freaks" from
"Neon Golden" is
their signature tune, but "Good Lies" is a close
second
nd at least
half of "The
Devil. . ." is just as captivating.
Vaguely
reminiscent of Eighties New Wave greats Talk Talk (maybe it's
just
the great nature
cover art---think "Spirit of Eden" and "The Color of
Spring"),
The Notwist are
carving out a fairly unique niche for
themselves---great beats,
carefully
orchestrated minimalist instrumentation, and melancholic
vocals
about planets,
gravity, and how the good lies always win. For punkers
and
club kids alike,
The Notwist are something sweetly magical -- not to be
missed.
Domino
Records USA