The Notwist are hardly a typical German band. On Shrink, they continue to eschew the krautrock aesthetic, instead dabbling in jazz, rock, pop, and electronic elements. Sonically, it's hard to grasp the Notwist -- "Another Planet," for instance, moves from moody jazz grooves to mope rock in its three- minute span. Meanwhile, vocalist Marcus Acher twists his delicate monotone around electronic beats reminiscent of Stereolab at their moodiest. The loops that build "Day 7" -- loop on top of loop -- tightly wind until only the eventuality of the break provides relief. Although Shrink is not easily categorized, it never loses focus, instead providing a remarkablely fresh -- if not particularly easy -- experience.