Iz On - EP

Albenrezension

Iz On, the third full-length studio effort by Xavier Naidoo's band, Söhne Mannheims, was released a few months prior to his triple-disc solo comeback album, Alles Kann Besser Werden. While there are some similarities between the two albums, in particular the extensive string arrangements and the critical lyrical tone, Iz On is unique in that it showcases the bandmembers of Söhne Mannheims, especially keyboardist Michael Herberger and rapper Metaphysics, and is more rap-oriented than Alles Kann Besser Werden. The highlight of Iz On is the title track, which fuses together sharp-edged raps, a skittering hip-hop beat, a cello loop, and blasts of electric guitar on the anthemic chorus, plus a turntablist outro. Another highlight is "Ich Wollt nur Deine Stimme Hörn," an emotional soul song that again makes extensive use of looped string arrangements over hip-hop beats. Elsewhere, "Kraft Unsres Amtes" is an out-and-out German rap song that stands out. Though it's often daring in style and rap-oriented, Iz On is comprised primarily of contemporary R&B music like past albums by Naidoo and Söhne Mannheims. Among the many bandmembers showcased on Iz On, Herberger is particularly worthy of mention, credited with co-producing and writing the album in conjunction with Naidoo. Metaphysics also plays a big role, rapping on multiple songs, most notably "Life," one of several songs that switch between German and English language. Released a half-decade after the previous studio album by Söhne Mannheims, Noiz (2004), Iz On finds Naidoo in a different place lyrically and stylistically, something that would be all the more evident a few months later with the release of Alles Kann Besser Werden. It's a shame that triple album in all of its epic brilliance overshadowed Iz On. There's a lot of impressive music here, and a few fantastic songs, the title track especially.