tephanie Bohm of Couch and Micha Acher of the Notwist collaborate on No P. or D. to make a modest electronic pop album. Modest is the key term here; there is little ambitious about this release. The melodies are rarely complicated, the lyrics are completely insignificant, and the vocals are careful never to be harsh, to the point it seems Ms. John Soda is afraid to intimidate its audience.


Ms. John Soda’s cautious approach comes as a bit of a disappointment given the bold creativity of Acher’s recent work with the Notwist. “Deceptively simple” is a phrase that is too often thrown around by music writers, but with the Notwist, it applied well; Neon Golden was a pop album that initially tricked listeners into thinking the album was uncomplicated, but brought them back for more listens as it revealed its depth. No P. or D., unfortunately, does quite the opposite, fooling listeners with its catchy melodies and ultimately disappointing them as it wears off after a few spins.


The melodies on this album are pretty strong, however, and while the songs invariably fall short of greatness, they are occasionally very enjoyable. “Go Check” is the album’s most immediate highlight, introducing a catchy guitar riff over Stereolabesque keyboards, with live percussion adding nicely to the more rock-oriented sound. “Solid Ground” excels in that it features the most complex instrumentation on the album, adding a keyboard melody and horns over electronic arpeggios and a steady bass line. The album’s closer, “Elusive”, is the most pleasant track on the album, with delightfully bright hooks built around a simple bass melody.


These highlights are balanced by a few uninspiring tracks that weigh down the album significantly. “By Two”, the album’s calmest track, is painfully insipid, mired by clichéd sounds and unexciting attempts at being “atmospheric” or “relaxing”. “Unsleeping” is decent, but would be much more effective if the vocals were a little bit more interesting (a complaint that applies to a great number of the songs, actually). “Hiding/Fading” becomes repetitive well before its hooks enter later into the song.


No P. or D. has few weaknesses, but those it does have are enough to make it less than great. If just a little bit was added to each of the songs to make them more interesting, or if Bohm lent a touch of emotion to her wearisome vocals, this could be a very good pop album. Without these improvements, though, No P. or D. comes across as unenthusiastic, and loses its immediate appeal after a few listens. Good, but inessential.