Ms. John Soda
Notes And The Like

To each Acher brother of the Notwist, it could be said, their own side project. Just as Markus gained recognition with Lali Puna, Micha follows in his footsteps (aided by vocalist Stephanie Bohm) with Ms. John Soda.

This "Notes and the like" is the second act of the band that debuted in 2002 with the splendid (in my opinion) "No p. Or d," enriching its sound structure with the addition of strings present here in many tracks.

The style remains the one that made Notwist great, namely the emotional blend of indie-rock and electronic elements, with great work on nuances and the creation of atmospheres that are always a bit melancholic and reflective. Here, the guitar that marked deeply many pieces in "No p. Or d" seems to hide more, making way for strings and keyboards, reappearing only in flashes as in the second track "Hands", a true pop gem, a bit sugary perhaps, but touching.

Bohm’s voice often touches on reading as in "Outlined View" or the beautiful "Sometimes Stop, Sometimes Go" where only the choruses are sung, while the rest is recited and silent, blending with the many sounds Micha manages to extract. The only track where the adrenaline rises is "No. one", a pressing electro-pop ride reminiscent of Depeche Mode. More ethereal and expansive atmospheres are found in the opening track "A Nod On Hold" and the concluding "Plenty Of".

Once again, the Acher brothers demonstrate they have honed a personal style that is now a hallmark of quality and successfully rework it always in a very effective and moving way, although the risk of redundancy is not entirely averted. Many elements of Lali Puna are found in this album, and those who have closely followed the events of Morr music might find this album not exceptional.

For others, it could be a beautiful discovery.