During the seven years that separated
Close to the Glass and
Vertigo Days, the members of
the Notwist ventured across the globe with other projects that gave them fresh ideas for the band's music. It's a creative process they've used since the days of
Shrink, but the results are never exactly the same. This time,
the Notwist question what it means to be in a band, and their seeking reveals homespun sweetness, seemingly ancient storytelling, and the majesty of an orchestra all in a single album.
Vertigo Days' ranginess suits
the Notwist; after all, they've always resisted easy categorization, and they've rarely sounded as loose and spontaneous as they do here (their 2016 live album
Superheroes, Ghostvillains & Stuff comes the closest to its in-the-moment energy). The album's scope is so big that its smaller moments could get lost in the shuffle, but its details are just as memorable as its broad strokes.
Vertigo Days' centerpiece "Into the Ice Age" does indeed reach dizzying heights with its crest of guitars, piano, saxophone, and
Angel Bat Dawid's clarinet, yet the tiny, fuzzy interlude "Stars'' makes just as much of an impression. The album's sheer momentum carries along moments big and small, and its kinetic sweep reaches its peak on highlights like the dense, driving
Juana Molina cameo "Al Sur'' and "Ship," which uses the contrast between its clanging Motorik beat and the delicate voice of
Tenniscoats' Saya expertly. Longtime
Notwist fans will be happy to hear them get back to the anything-goes heart of post-rock on songs such as the haunting "Oh Sweet Fire," where
Markus Acher trades vocals with
Ben LaMar Gay over instrumentation that folds hints of dub and jazz into its flow. Nor have they lost any of their ability to lock onto their listeners' emotions since Neon Golden became their breakthrough nearly 20 years prior:
Acher still sounds effortlessly vulnerable on the ironically beaming "Sans Soleil" and when he sings about the necessity of togetherness and solitude on "Into Love/Stars." By the time
Vertigo Days comes full circle with "Into Love Again," he and the rest of
the Notwist have taken their audience on a wild and wise journey of the heart. ~ Heather Phares