Strom und Drang

After some time in the hip-hop wilderness, veteran Hamburg trio Fettes Brot returned to the charts with 2005's award-winning Am Wasser Gebaut and followed it up the next year with a single, "Fussball Ist Immer Noch Wichtig," in honor of the World Cup being staged in Germany at the time. Once again at the forefront of the domestic music scene, Strom und Drang sees the band tackle contemporary issues, from internet dating to breast-baring TV presenters, with one eye always glancing backwards to the old-school. Lead single "Bettina, Zieh Dir Bitte Etwas An" (literally, "Bettina, put something on!," though it's hardly an improvement on the original title: "Bettina, pack your breasts up!") references popular nude model Bettie Ballhaus who, at the time, was a popular hostess of a sexy late-night game show. It's an anthemic club single that falls somewhere between Timbaland and fellow Hamburg techno hounds Scooter, mixing English lyrics with German and boasting a gang chorus so big that Germany itself could scarcely contain it. Follow-up single "Erdbeben," despite translating to "Earthquake," is not nearly as big, but it's every bit as melodic. "Ich Lass Dich Nicht Los" ("I won't let you go"), effectively a solo Björn Beton track, sees its protagonist befriend a girl over the internet ("und dieses 'LOL' heisst "Laughing Out Loud," he explains to her") and become ever more exasperated by her devotion to her boyfriend, while the atmosphere is more Eminem-meets-old-school horrorcore than contemporary hip-hop. "Der Beste Rapper Deutschlands Ist Offensichtlich Ich" should need no translating, other than to say it's a catchy and funny twist on traditional hip-hop braggadocio. The album becomes more diverse as it progresses. Fourth single "Das Allererste Mal" ("The very first time") is the hidden gem of the album, an old-school power pop track with nods to the Beatles, industrial-influenced percussion, and a guest vocal from pop singer Bernadette La Hengst, while closer "Hörst Du Mich?" calls to mind Norway's Kaizers Orchestra with oil drum percussion and electric organ. It's not all good, though: the tail-end of the album also boasts the lazy diss track "Schieb Es Auf Die Brote" and the unusual, but not particularly interesting, "Automatikpistole," effectively halting the momentum generated by the first half. Overall, however,Strom Und Drang is a strong, consistent hip-hop album, and the group's sense of fun shines brightly in spite of the language barrier.