You can look at this many ways. I prefer two. One I won't actually say because it even confuses the editor who knows my idiot speak as well as anyone. So, The Notwist are a good 90's new wave band. They take the formal achievements of their forefathers: in this case Sonic Youth, Kraut Rocks influence on the early 90s Too Pure labels bands, post-punk metal alloys in nonmetal main frames, and early Dinosaur vulnerability via voice and cracked spew thunder via guitar leakage and chew and chip'em into 
rock conventions. These sounds and structures are used in familiar ways, but would not be placed before the middle of the last decade in anyone's time line. So they aren't ground breakers, (hardly anyone is especially in "rock" anyways), but at least they aren't givin' any turf back to the Candlebox "good 'ole third Def Lep LP" crowd either.  
The tunes are varied and good. Their use of sampling and looping is kept to a support role, (ya know-like The Beatles use of strings), and the playing and tones are straight up, realistic, and easily handleable for anyone who's texturally at one with That Petrol Emotion's first record, Ministry's Big Black rip-off's, Pil et. al. (as well as the possible influences noted above). The package includes a CD that runs about 39 minutes, no filter-all kilter, and a remix disc that's about 26 minutes long. It's actually OK too. No 
simpering bass and drums electronica or post ambient neutering is done to these songs. I'm really glad Critter's, (Mr. Mister, Shock-Tu, Rush), remixing didn't mess with "The Incredible Change of our Alien's", emoto-groan or feel. Good job Critter! Why, if Frank were here I'd say "Frank, I think you may like this," because I think he might like a record I called a "pop version of Casper Brotzmann's Massacre". I never said it was farther "out" than a bummed 18th Dye/ Brainiac tangle up, so don't get funny on me. The editor said he thought they were on the edge right out from where Built To Spill start to get grinky and good. As you all know, with BTS the grinkier the better. Now, if they'd only do a Monks' cover (jezuz-they already have a banjo player!) to go with the Robert Palmer one, then,... well they'd be doing two covers.