Phoning It In: "Pick Up the Phone" by the Notwist

Still life print titled "Piles of Books" by Hercules Segers, c. 1630

It's so weird that the Notwist started out as a metal band. Their 1991 self-titled debut was pretty thrashy hard rock, but by 2001's Neon Golden, the band had turned into a remarkably different thing. Combining organic sounds (acoustic guitar and banjo) and lulling vibes with some harsh electronics, the Notwist make great atmospheric music that is now widely imitated in the indie scene. "Pick Up the Phone" has a fun sputtering percussion line and what sounds like a harmonium anchoring the arrangement, which builds on itself nicely as it goes along. In this song, "picking up the phone" is getting out of a self-destructive cycle - maybe it's about calling a suicide hotline? Why are these telephone songs all so depressing?

"Pick Up the Phone" by the Notwist