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EDIT INFOThe Notwist - The Devil, You + Me
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Album Details
- Artist: The Notwist
- Album: The Devil, You + Me
- Label: CitySlang / Domino
- Year of Release: 2008
- ME Rating:
- Reviewed by: dscanland on 2008-08-22
RecommendI always get surprised, nervous and excited about a new Notwist album. Surprised because it comes out of nowhere. The band takes a long time between releases and never seems to hurry out albums. Nervous because I might be let down. And excited because I am pretty much certain that I'll have another album to add to my best of the year list.
The Devil, You + Me is no exception to the rule. I had no idea this album was due this year. It just magically appeared in my new releases and I ended up as giddy as a school girl. But after two listens I feared the second rule, the one about nervousness, coming into play. Why the nervousness? Well, The Devil You + Me is not near as immediate as their previous effort, Neon Golden. So if you just gave it a couple listens you would be most likely turned off. But given some more focused attention and the charm of Germany's Notwist starts to unveil itself once again. There are so many times where there is hardly a big arrangement to be found. Check out the title track for evidence of this minimal arrangement. And Notwist doesn't rely on as much electronics as they have in the past as well, resorting to more traditional arrangements, as close as they could possibly come. But they do go all out on tracks "Where In This World" and "Hands On Us" where they invited an orchestra in to play. It works as a wonderful extension of their sound. The last track, "Gone Gone Gone" ends up being the brightest track of the set. All I can hope for now is that it's not another 6 years before the next Notwist album.
Be wary that The Devil, You + Me is a much darker album than Neon Golden but if you give it your focused attention you may find it just as wonderful.
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on 2012-01-26 CharlesMartel Said:
It has long been axiomatic in music that the best and most innovative sounds using electronic equipment have come from Germany. That puts the Notwist in a long line of bands which would include, among others, Kraftwerk, Alphaville, Neu! and Deutsche Amerikanische Freundschaft. Therefore coming to the Notwist, I rather knew what to expect, or did I? After six years, the band's sound has undergone a quite radical change. I cannot honestly say I think it was for the better.
Try as I might I cannot get the feel for this. Many German outfits have intrigued me but the Notwist have no effect on me at all. Now this may be my fault, but then again it may not. You see, Notwist seem to have decided on the employment of instrumentation to create atmosphere rather than straight-forward songs. I cannot fault them for that, but the end result does not quite live up to expectations. It may be one of those things, like some aspects of modern art - you either get it or you don't - and while I am not going to say this could have been done by a three year old when it manifestly could not, it is enough to leave me wondering why.
The production is of a high quality, pretty much as you would expect. The song writing is pretty insipid though and fails to provide any platform for which the listener can appreciate the album. (I don't like the cover art either, but I have never let that influence my appreciation or otherwise). Occasionally, there is a track which rises above the rest. "Gone Gone Gone" eschews too much synthesiser and relies on acoustic guitar and vocals, and frankly is all the better for it. But that comes at the end of the album and it is a long wait to get to it.
Where does that leave the uncommitted listener? Well, it is hard to say that this album is one which reaches out and grabs you. I suppose it is inspirational insofar as, with the right sort of programme, this sort of laptop-pop is now within reach of many budding musicians and songwriters. But there has to be some feeling to make it worthwhile listening to - this goes for any music. And I just do not get that feeling. I thought that repeated plays would open the album up to me, but they haven't, and frankly, and I am loath to expend any more time listening to something in the hope that it eventually dawns on me when there is so much else out there I can appreciate.
Rating: 3/10
