NOTWIST -- "The Devil, You & Me"

By Rick Zeigler

Six years on from their masterpiece, Neon Golden, the brothers Markus and Mika Archer, along with programmer Martin Gretschman, return with another indie/electronica gem. Starting out as a hardcore metal outfit, Notwist eventually morphed into purveyors of sad and sweet laptop-pop romanticism, stuttering beats, and dreamy, hushed vocals. While their latest is not quite the equal of Neon Golden (but then no one else has equaled it, either), The Devil, You & Me is still a beautiful outing filled with lyrics which focus on resignation and longing. The "down" nature of the lyrics are set off by the band's music, filled with uplifting melodies, quiet soundscapes, and slightly jagged programmed beats, clicks, and cuts, all combining to sound like a less dramatic (but equally melodic) version of Radiohead's forays into the electronic side of things. Opener " Good Lies" sets the template, with strummed guitar chords in each channel, a slow drum build, breathy, beautiful vocals, all backgrounded by keyboard washes and slight digital "static" popping in and out of the mix. The song builds as more synths/keys and guitars are added, layer upon layer, but the band holds back (here, as always) from truly exploding into a full-tilt rock sound. Even when throwing in glockenspiel and a 21-piece orchestra (the wonderfully named Andromeda Meg Express Orchestra), Notwist always maintains a tense, understated edge to their music that allows it to grow with each listen.