13 & God: S/T

13 & God is the first collaborative effort between The Notwist and Anticon’s Themselves, which ultimately doesn’t sound like a collaboration at all. What you wind up with is a polarized record between tracks that essentially sound like they belong to The Notwist or Themselves.

While tracks two through four demonstrate this the best and are very good tracks, the rest of the album may be a bit more of a collaborative effort, but they also don’t really stick in one’s mind, even after multiple listens.

The rap parts of the record by Anticon’s Themselves grate on me and have an insect-like tone to the vocals that sounds completely juvenile.

The beats that Themselves create are definitely worth mentioning, but otherwise their contribution to this project is lacking. Ultimately I walk away from this record with a few solid Notwist sounding songs, which I certainly don’t mind.

Sorry guys, I just don’t think this one lives up to the hype.

– Chris Smith
(Anticon)