Technically Neon Golden, the sixth album from Germans The Notwist, should be an unequivocal disaster. Laced with meandering acoustic guitars, mournful vocals, post-punk rock, crisp electronica, flutes, dub bass, saxophones, the occasional breakbeat and banjo, the potential for their tender tunes to descend into a chaotic and indulgent nightmare of arty noodling is exceptionally high. However, having spent 15 months in the studio putting their unlikely components together, the outcome couldn't be more transfixing or beautiful; a dreamy world of atmospheric lo-fi lullabies, where hazy pop melodies drift by on an eccentric flow of sensual bleeps, whooshes and crackles. Even when Neon Golden strays towards more traditional rock, Markus Acher's downtrodden yet hopeful vocals, and his achingly sweet melodies persist, as do the sumptuous atmospheric add-ons that link vaguely New Order-ish moments "Pilot" and "One With The Freaks" to the title track's ambient electronic pulses and breathy saxophones. Yet nothing is more magical or odd than "Trashing Days", where they manage to make pneumatic space age sound effects rubbing against scraping beats, woozy horns and a quietly plucked banjo, sound like the most natural thing in the world. --Dan Gennoe