Yeah, on first listen it's nothing compared to Neon Golden.

But that doesn't mean I don't like it.

The title track, and "On Planet Off" are current favorites.

I Think this'll grow on me, and has potential to be in my top 5. So far...

The album isn't as good as Neon Golden, but it does have it's moments.

Hearing it gave me hope that this year could actually be a good year for music.

I got the sense from Hophead that some believe that "Neon Golden" is their debut (I may be reading that wrong, but it seems sort of implied because their real debut had no IDM or acoustic guitars at all really). The Notwist were a metal band since the early 90's (maybe late 80's even, I'm not too sure) and changed things up with Neon Golden. Neon Golden is one of those albums to me that grows slowly, but i must say The Notwist don't blow me away like they do for some people.

Anypoo, i will have to find this new album and give it a spin.

Well, they really started changing things up a long while before Neon Golden, namely on 12 and especially on Shrink, which came out in 1998 and has tracks that hint at the Neon Golden sound.

I'm finally enjoying the album. I never got into Neon Golden and I thought that was going to be the case for The Devil, You + Me but I finally was in the correct mood. I think IU also just stopped expecting to hear something big change, and instead let the little melodies and various other small things they do that make the album pretty darn gorgeous.

I guess I'll have to go back through their back-catalog now.

I haven't gotten the album yet
But from the sounds of it, I doubt I will enjoy this as much as Neon Golden, but then again that album transcends space and time itself...

Shrink definitely had some great tracks, like Day 7, that reminded me of Neon Golden. For those interested in the indie electronic/vocal/acoustic fusion, check out Hood - Cold House, which got similar reviews.

quote:

Originally posted by JGlass:
I'm finally enjoying the album. I never got into Neon Golden and I thought that was going to be the case for The Devil, You + Me but I finally was in the correct mood. I think IU also just stopped expecting to hear something big change, and instead let the little melodies and various other small things they do that make the album pretty darn gorgeous.

I guess I'll have to go back through their back-catalog now.

And a month later I only like this album more. It's really growing on me.

The Notwist could never move too far toward guitars. Neon Golden was SO the emo Kid A (a good thing). Anyone who bags on Consequence because it's sentimental should be denied medical care. I liked 12 a lot too. Haven't heard this one yet. Sounds promising.

This album is definitely a grower. At first I was too busy measuring up the album to Neon Golden to judge it on its own merits. Finally, I realized this isn't going to be Neon Golden II no matter how much I wished it was, and ever since I've changed my perspective the album has really begun to flourish. Delicate, beautiful arrangements mark these songs.

In fact, how I received this album is quite similar to last year's Boxer (by National). At first I wanted so bad to hear another Alligator that I didn't recognize its brilliance until I loosened my expectations. It finished somewhere in my top 3 of 2007, IIRC.

I heard all except the last two songs on the new record live and they are pretty sweet Especially "Gloomy Planets" with their new drummer is awesome.

I'm getting to like this too. Just listened to for the first time all the way through. It's a bit long. And I just don't know if I have room in my life for yet another downer album. I just began letting Portishead back into my life and now this?

Gave this another listen last night and the second half is more solid than I remember. May have some sticking power.