The Notwist - The Devil You + Me

The Notwist from Germany started out as a hardcore punk band in 1989, moving on to melodic indie until finding their own symbiosis of indie, electronica and jazz on their fourth album Shrink (1998). Their previous album Neon Golden (2002), showcasing their indietronic fusion from its more melodic side, was well-received. A six year pause in activity followed. Their latest record The Devil, You + Me is the band's sixth offering that continues the direction of previous two albums. Changes compared to their previous work are minimal, an interesting addition is the integration of orchestral arrangements in songs like "Where In This World" and "Hands On Us". The album nonetheless presents The Notwist at their known goodness. Although some of the electronic glitches already sound a bit anachronistic (it would be welcome to hear other types of electronic percussion sounds), the production is still tasty and Marcus Acher continues his status as a fine songwriter. Nevertheless, the band's best efforts remain their two previous albums.

*This review was published in Estonian in a journal called Postimees. This is the English translation