Die Verlierer Notausgang LP
Absolutely stellar post-punk out of Berlin. What struck me the most on the first listen was how varied the songs are, in both style and length, while still maintaining a common overall sound and feel. In that way, this record almost reminds me of being at a label showcase—the bands might not all sound the same, but you get why they are all there. Noutausgang opens up sounding like early Finnish new wave, then follows that up with a longer, moodier groove, and then turns again on the third track with an early highlight in the group shout that is “Fickt Diese Stadt.” The theme of variety continues throughout with a sub-two-minute hardcore track (“Albtraum”) giving way to the near-six-minute smolder of “Stacheldraht.” If you dig post-punk, new wave, Neue Deutsche Welle, or krautrock, you’ll easily find something to like here. And if the current song doesn’t quite do it for you, the next one might just snap you right back to attention.