It’s hard to believe that German indie rock outfit The Notwist have been making music for the totality of my existence but yeah, they have. Not only that, the foursome have undergone a rather impressive period of re-invention/innovation covering a wide variety of genres.
New single “Close to the Glass”, from their upcoming album of the same name, sees the group continuing more or less right where 2008′s The Devil, You + Me left off as the group grew steadily more proficient in the digital. “Close to the Glass” is a far cry from the Notwist’s indie middle period, emerging triumphant with electronic elements on full display. But the remarkable thing about the jittery bit of experimental pop is how organic its sounds feel. True, there’s a more digitized slant in the way the glitchy skips and stutters but there’s still a very human presentation. Maybe it’s all in the hand clap-like percussion but it’s evident that The Notwist haven’t forgotten that they’re a band — they’re not about to hide behind their computer screens stitching together a set of unperformable effects (Ed. – “dancing” while pushing a button to trigger a sample is not a music performance). Underneath the myriad of programming, beneath the track’s digital architecture, there’s still a band at its core cemented by Markus Acker’s tender vocals and the telltale signs of experienced musicians unafraid to try something new.
The Notwists’ Close to the Glass is out February 25th on Sub Pop Records. Preorder the 2xLP here for just $18 »
