Iz On, the third full-length studio effort by
Xavier Naidoo's band,
Söhne Mannheims, was released a few months prior to his triple-disc solo comeback album,
Alles Kann Besser Werden. While there are some similarities between the two albums, in particular the extensive string arrangements and the critical lyrical tone,
Iz On is unique in that it showcases the bandmembers of
Söhne Mannheims, especially keyboardist
Michael Herberger and rapper
Metaphysics, and is more rap-oriented than
Alles Kann Besser Werden. The highlight of
Iz On is the title track, which fuses together sharp-edged raps, a skittering hip-hop beat, a cello loop, and blasts of electric guitar on the anthemic chorus, plus a turntablist outro. Another highlight is "Ich Wollt nur Deine Stimme Hörn," an emotional soul song that again makes extensive use of looped string arrangements over hip-hop beats. Elsewhere, "Kraft Unsres Amtes" is an out-and-out German rap song that stands out. Though it's often daring in style and rap-oriented,
Iz On is comprised primarily of contemporary R&B music like past albums by
Naidoo and
Söhne Mannheims. Among the many bandmembers showcased on
Iz On,
Herberger is particularly worthy of mention, credited with co-producing and writing the album in conjunction with
Naidoo.
Metaphysics also plays a big role, rapping on multiple songs, most notably "Life," one of several songs that switch between German and English language. Released a half-decade after the previous studio album by
Söhne Mannheims,
Noiz (2004),
Iz On finds
Naidoo in a different place lyrically and stylistically, something that would be all the more evident a few months later with the release of
Alles Kann Besser Werden. It's a shame that triple album in all of its epic brilliance overshadowed
Iz On. There's a lot of impressive music here, and a few fantastic songs, the title track especially. ~ Jason Birchmeier