The men of The Notwist are late bloomers. The German group existed for almost fifteen years when they broke through with the album Neon Golden (2002). Especially in the Netherlands, the sophisticated mix of whining indie rock guitars and whirring electronics was well appreciated. On the tenth studio album Close To The Glass, the group seems to initially want to rub the listener against the hair.
Signals and the title track are full of jerky beats that demand full attention. When in Kong the rock guitars and the drawling voice of Markus Acher determine the sound again, the Notwist fan of the old school can take a breath of relief. However, the band keeps its eyes on the front and that sometimes works out very well, such as in the hypnotic Into Another Tune. The Notwist took no less than six years to create this studio album. If a next album takes such a long time, their fans will have enough material to chew with Close To The Glass. (PdK)more
