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The Notwist – Shrink
The Notwist – Shrink
Bigstore/Community DS45-CD23 1998
By Russell Garwood
This is the third full length release from the hugely under-publicised Bavarian group. Very hard to describe, The Notwist’s music can be bitter-sweet, diverse and sometimes jazzy with an industrial tinge and pop structures.
“Day 7” opens the album with a rhythm constructed from random noises, which then breaks into guitar, prominent bass and the wistful vocals of Markus Acher. This is followed by the melancholy “Chemicals” which incorporates the sound of a modem connecting, looped drums, longing vocals, keyboards, guitars, and substantial bass. Next is the more upbeat (musically), but downcast “Another Planet” with a distinctly more guitary sound. Track 7 “N.L” demonstrates the more jazz-orientated side of the album, with a bass clarinet being used to good effect. Other standout tracks include the acoustic guitar and scratch-driven “No Encores” and “Your Signs”, where a bass clarinet and xylophone compliment the other instruments and making it a truly memorable song.
With lyrics like: “chemicals will hit you, chemicals will knock you down, is it over cause you feel no pain, throwing me around” and “it shifts you, grips you, takes all your friends away from you, surface me, erase me, take all these friends away from me” this isn’t a cheerful or uplifting album, but it is emotional and infectious with a welcome eclecticism and originality. Probably my favourite Notwist album, this is a great place to start if you are new to the band…
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