THE NOTWIST > The Devil, You + Me

In fact, the German quartet sticks closer to the playbook mapped out by more adventurous alt-rock groups like Radiohead and Wilco than, say, to Kraftwerk’s tech manuals. Still, occasional random noise bursts float throughout the Notwist’s sixth album, The Devil, You + Me, a companion of sorts to 2003’s terrific Neon Golden. Label: DOMINO
[RATING: 3.5]

In fact, the German quartet sticks closer to the playbook mapped out by more adventurous alt-rock groups like Radiohead and Wilco than, say, to Kraftwerk’s tech manuals. Still, occasional random noise bursts float throughout the Notwist’s sixth album, The Devil, You + Me, a companion of sorts to 2003’s terrific Neon Golden. Frontman Markus Acher’s warm and cozy voice wraps around cuts like “Good Lies” and “Where in the World,” while spare but surprisingly plush (and way artsy) indie-rock wafts in the background. If the 11 songs on The Devil, You + Me don’t make much sense lyrically, don’t sweat it. The Notwists’ sonic twists and turns are the real purpose of a record that envelops electronic music’s rattle and hums without slipping into its cold, dark cavern.