Those with a yen for bewitching electronic leftfield rock will always maintain a soft spot for The Notwist, a band who have never followed leaders or watched parking meters. Close to the Glass, The Notwist's eighth album, catches them still moving and tracing interesting patterns. Since their last album (The Devil, You + Me ), the German veterans have decided to experiment some more, meaning Close to the Glass is full of coloured beeps, bleeps, glitches and swirls. There's a lot of splendid sounds and noises in the pot, but you often wish that they would do more with what they've got . The Fifth Quarter of the Globe dispenses with some interesting low-key twinkles much too quickly, while tracks such as Lineri are in urgent need of pruning. Band and album are at their best when the tracks are clear-headed and focused, as on the serrated Kong or the introspective Casino . notwist.co
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