John-Paul and Jannina Norpoth are a couple. They each have musician parents. That's not always a good thing; when you hear music all the time you can sometimes get lost in tangents that are interesting only to you and music critics.

Hollands Restless Youth (self-released)

But the Norpoths don't get lost. They weave all of their tangents into an infectious brew that features a laptop rhythm section and then throws almost everything imaginable on top. The result is a series of songs that have seemingly little to do with each other.

And if you listen to these songs randomly, that effect is magnified. But the sequencing is impressive. This is one set you really want to hear front-to-back. The exceptional crafting that is apparent in the songs is just as evident in drafting of the the song order.

Of course, there are tangents. These songs unfold in unusual ways, and they can be a bit twisty. What keeps everything in line is the electronic beat and bass underpinnings. The groove is always rolling, and everything else keeps in contact--at least by the fingertips.

Okay, it is a bit wonky--but in an endearing way. The album title is indicative of the contents, but Hollands makes the most of its restlessness. With adventurousness tempered just slightly into coherence, the results ring brightly in the ears.

Jon Worley