The Notwist (D) : « Neon Golden »
( Big Store/ City slang)
For the Notwist, the big change occured in 1998 with the release of their previous album " Shrink". The Bavarian trio had recruited a new member, in the person of electro-wizzard Martin Gretschmann ( Console), dropped for good the noisy guitar rock that was still prevalent on their 1996's " 12" album, and headed for something completely new: a rich and exciting mix of indie-pop, jazz and electronica no one had ever heard before.
2002 finds our German foursome in great positive form. Obviously, they feel happy and comfortable in this cosy mansion they have built. But don't think nothing has changed though. In four years, the boys have found time to improve the interior decoration of their home. They have changed the wallpapers to make them fit together perfectly, rearranged the furniture according to the Feng Shui rules, removed some showy curios and opted for a nice concealed lightning.
If new components have been added to " Neon Golden" ( a light folky touch, for instance), the real difference with " Shrink" is much more a question of balance. The challenge here was to find the right quantity for each ingredient and to set a perfect proportion of all these elements, in order to make a truly consistent album.
The Notwist succeed in this beyond all expectations. With gems such as Pilot, the single, already greeted in the music press as one of the best songs released in 2001, Trashing Days, where Pete Seeger meets Markus Popp, One With The Freaks, the only song here to still recall The Notwist's past as a guitar-band, or Neon Golden ( the song), with its hypnotic and addictive tune, they even manage to improve from something that was already almost perfect on " Shrink". Ultimately though, as good as are the sound and the arrangements, it's more the sheer melodic appeal of the songs added to Markus Acher's unaffected and melancholic vocals that give to " Neon Golden" its timeless and priceless value.
Really remarkable, but the next album will be a VERY difficult one indeed.
THE NOTWIST:
CITY SLANG: Skalitzer Str. 68, 10997 BERLIN, GERMANY