The Notwist

It's been over six years since German indie rockers The Notwist released their 2002 genre-redefining, critically acclaimed Neon Golden. On The Devil, You + Me, the sound remains the same for the first time in nearly a decade—the band began as a post-hardcore punk outfit in the late '80s before it took several hard left turns to find its niche. Now, for their sixth LP, as they did for Neon Golden, leading men and brothers Markus and Micha Archer ground melodic pop songs in light electronics and simple, stuttering percussive tones. Though certainly less dynamic and fresh this time around, the band also mixes in layers of electric and acoustic guitar, plaintive melody, and moments of extended atmosphere, just as before.

On Neon Golden, nearly every track was a realization. Not so this time around, as the effort places underdeveloped numbers like "Alphabet" and "Hands on Us" between soft ballads and return-to form tracks such as opener "Good Lies," the pulsating "Gravity," and the emotive "Gloomy Planets." The latter two combine unpretentious, somber songwriting and perfect musical balance; they rise and fall effortlessly and showcase the band at its best. And if 1998's Shrink was a touch too experimental on the whole, as the band struggled to find its new sound, The Devil suffers on the other side of the fence; often, the album feels stuck trying to replicate the success of its predecessor. But if there is a new strength here, it is the band's flirtation with more a guitar-based, minimalistic sound. Both the title track and "Gone Gone Gone" are perfect examples; neither song employs any glitchy shifts or driving guitar, yet they set a gorgeous, if simple mood, which hypnotizes with its monotone. And, as always, Markus Archer's voice is a joy to behold. This may not reach the bar the band set with Neon Golden, but it could hardly have been expected to.

—William Morris
06.23.08

After all that time spent developing, or (to be more kind) bouncing from place to place, beginning with scraggly post-hardcore (The Notwist, Nook) and then moving to relatively streamlined and occasionally melodic post-hardcore (12) and then abstract electronics (Shrink), the Notwist delivered a smart and song-oriented synthesis of the organic and synthetic on Neon Golden. And then, for six years, nothing, unless a remix EP and a soundtrack contribution count. The length between Neon Golden and its follow-up was twice the length of time between any two other Notwist albums, a gap that can be partially attributed to the members' several outside projects. Despite involvement in a number of varied recordings since their last album, The Devil, You + Me is as much a natural extension of Neon Golden as Nook was an extension of The Notwist. As subdued as ever, all the while retaining a sense of tension that has been a constant throughout its discography, the band makes only slight refinements. The most notable change is the incorporation of the 21-member Andromeda Mega Express Orchestra, who add further intensity to tightly wrapped songs like "Where in the World" (where escape is sought but impossible to achieve) and "Hands on Us" (which might be the album's most affecting and downcast song, despite its lyrical vagueness). The album could pass as a slightly more dramatic, comparatively spindly, and male-fronted alternate of Scary World Theory, the excellent 2001 release from central Notwist member Markus Acher's Lali Puna. It has that same slightly unnerved but ultimately comforting effect, and like Neon Golden, you might want to take it everywhere with you, even when you can only replay it in your mind. ~ Andy Kellman, Rovi