The Notwist Album: “Neon Golden”

I was in a bookstore in Philly and Neon Golden was played over the store system. I asked what it was and walked across the street to buy it. It's that good. Everyone who hears it at my apartment in the village says, "what's this?" It has an immediate appeal, and your appreciation will only grow with more listens.

It is at some level rock music and it is delivered in many ways as electronic music. However, genre is the worst possible way to describe an album like this. The vocals and lyrics are compelling and personal. They are not made to impress you, show off range, and do not fall into any of the usual pitfalls of most songs. They are just raw and honest and above all, human.

The electronic beats give the music a clear and focused edge and an amazing feel. Guitar, banjo (this doesn't strike one as a great idea in words, but it sounds great on the album, bluegrass doesn't even come to mind), and horns and flutes produce a very interesting sound. All has the controlled measure and sound of electronic music, but the live instruments and vocals produce an unimaginable blend with a moving sound.

This album easily appeals to many types of music fans from rock and electronic perspectives and does a great job walking a line only comfortably traversed by such bands as Radiohead and The Postal Service...

If you are wondering where rock music (or electronic music) should be moving next, listen to this album. It shakes off all the shackles of music history and soars into music for music's sake. There is nobody who would not enjoy this music. -As a side note, be sure to visit their website, it's pretty cool.

It's like German band The Notwist is in a four-door Jetta, spiraling up a mountain road. If any of the four bandmembers inside the car were to look out the window right now, they'd see a sweeping landscape of peaks and valleys. Scattered among the natural surroundings is the band's winding history: remnants of bills shared with Fugazi and The Jesus Lizard from the early '90s; wisps of forgotten speed metal riffs hang from pine trees; there's a collaboration with Bjork; and, about 1000 meters below, is the band's first Powerbook. Curiously, there's a violin down there, too.

A year ago, The Notwist ascended above the tree line with the release of Neon Golden on City Slang in the UK. Melding electronic drones and clicks and cuts with acoustic instruments, on their sixth ablum The Notwist synthesized their ironically twisted past into the record they've been driving towards for the last 14 years. Ripples of hype ensued.

Without the benefit of actually being released domestically, the album showed up on numerous State-side year-end lists for 2002 (including three by Junkmedia staff here, here and here). Now the album has been given a new life in the United States with the release of this Domino version, which includes three bonus tracks.

Neon Golden stumbles to a start with the syncopated pizzicato violin of "One Step Inside Doesn't Mean You Understand." Layers of bowed violin, guitar and percussion are added, as Markus Acher sets the somber tone for the album with his vocals. Static-y electro drums pound and splash on track six, "Solitaire." Acher delivers vocals in a calculated melancholy; subdued acoustic guitar is plucked against the gentle onslaught of beat fuzz, and, by this time, halfway through the album, it's clear that this is a glimpse into the future of pop music. While guitar-bass-drum-type outfits will never disappear completely, the trend among such bands to integrate electronic undercurrents is now obviously inexorable.

And just when you've got all that figured out, track eight, "Neon Golden," jams a wrench into the spokes. A raunchy acoustic guitar rakes out a blues riff, cymbals are brushed and Acher sings, Neon golden / like all the lights. Later, a doumbek is added, lending a slight Eastern feel to an otherwise traditional blues. It seems like an odd title track for an album that's decidedly nontraditional; that is, until you realize that washes of electronics have taken over for the acoustic instruments. Like the rest of the album, it's so subtle that you'll want to keep listening just to see what else you missed last time around.

Robert Young

Even when I really like an album, I rarely listen to it more than once before putting on a different one. "Neon Golden" is one of those few exceptions that I feel compelled to play again (and again) when the needle hits the end of the groove.

The Notwist started out as a loud indie rock trio, but it was clear from the start that they were more than your average bunch of guitar-strumming mopey kids. For one thing, the brother pair of Markus and Micha Acher sometimes played with their father in a traditional jazz band in their home town of Weilheim in rural Bavaria, not far from Munich. They also had an alarming tendency to start new bands with their local friends and to consistently ignore genre conventions. A small universe of bands and projects resulted, including, among others, Tied & Tickled Trio and Lali Puna (both had albums released in the US and are highly recommended). In the meantime, The Notwist evolved away from straight indie rock, adding elements from jazz (not the traditional kind), dub and electronica, while keeping their focus on strong melodies. The addition of Martin Gretschmann, aka Console (he produced the song "Heirloom" on Björk's latest album) before their previous album "Shrink" made clear that the power trio was behind The Notwist.

If you're not moved by "Neon Golden", well, you are lacking some essential part of your mind.

I actually was turned on to this record from reading reviews on Amazon. I purchased the import based on the "Kid A" comparisons and was amazed. This domestic version includes 3 bonus tracks and is a must buy for any fans of artsy electronic based pop. While the Radiohead comparisons are accurate, theres no denying the quality, depth and variety of these tracks. Personal favorites are "This Room" & "Neon Golden" but there is no filler here. A strong contender for record of the year and very highly recommended.

Rarely do I hear an indie rock record that is this gorgeous. Neon Golden has a traditional guitar/bass/drums lineup that is laced with electronic textures and sad vocals. There is no real "hit" single or anything, but what's even more rare is that you can listen to this album all the way through because it's that consistently good. There's nothing quite like this out there right now.

Also, this version has 3 bonus tracks - which are not on the (more expensive) import.