The Notwist – Close to the Glass

Close to the Glass is The Notwist’s first album since their 2008 release The Devil, You & I. For those unfamiliar with The Notwist, they are a German band who have been around since the early 90’s. They started out playing grunge/metal but slowly evolved into an indie/electronic band (a transition comparable to Radiohead). They are most well known for their critically acclaimed 2002 album Neon Golden. Their new album Close to the Glass is less accessible and more experimental than their last two albums, but still worth a listen. This album is meant to be listened to as a whole since most of the songs flow seamlessly into the next. There aren’t a whole lot of songs that work well as stand alone singles aside from the lead single “Kong” (easily the album’s best song) and maybe a few others like “Casino”, “Run Run Run” and “7-Hour Drive” (although the latter song suffers from some painfully obvious lyrics). It’s pretty impressive The Notwist can go from glitchy electronics one moment to strummed guitars the next, yet it all fits together nicely. If you are new to The Notwist, I wouldn’t recommend Close to the Glass as your first introduction to them, instead I suggest listening to Neon Golden first before checking this one out. But for fans of their previous work, this album is worth the wait.

RIYL: Bibio, The Books, Yo La Tengo, Atoms For Peace

Play: 3, 5, 7, 9, 2

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