The second album from
the Notwist shows little evolution from the hard rock sound of their debut album, still sounding little like what they would transform into several years later with
Shrink. Mixing songwriting similar to
Swervedriver with the guitar angling of
Dinosaur Jr.,
Notwist make an honest effort to stand out, but ultimately fail in light of the records they would start making after this one. Viewed this way,
Nook is an enjoyable record, if not a fully successful one. For fans of
Neon Golden, this sounds like an entirely different band. No electronics here, strictly drums and wires employed in as muscular a way as possible, as on the
Helmet-sounding "Unsaid, Undone." With meatier production than their debut,
the Notwist pummel their guitars and drums in search of majestic riffs and are mostly successful. There are a couple of tracks that miss their mark, but its probably around a 70/30 split in terms of success. If nothing else,
Nook is as good an example of early-'90s alternative rock as any other, if a fairly generic one. Not recommended for fans of the band's later works, but probably one for the die-hard completist. ~ James Mason