Crystal Castles [Import]

Crystal Castles took video game tonality to a whole new level with their self-titled debut. Simple melodies electronically spelled out in front of brilliantly executed club beats were all the convincing critics needed for stellar reviews. Although Crystal Castles was embraced exponentially more in Europe, they rode the coat tails of bands like Daft Punk and Justice into American clubs.

With their second self-titled album, Crystal Castles have maintained a great deal of that 8-bit Atari sound while expanding and evolving into something much more. It is possible fans may find their new samples a bit less endearing with decreased nostalgia for sounds of their childhood, but the duo made up of Ethan Kath and Alice Glass certainly have some tricks up their sleeves that are worth giving a chance.

Crystal Castles opens with "Fainting Spells," a sort of nod to the duo's previous work, relies on a great deal of classic samples while discernable lyrics remain absent. As soon as "Celestica" begins, however, it is clear Crystal Castles have opted for change. Low bit samples are replaced with shimmering synthesizers that float above Alice Glass' vocals. Rather than continuing this relaxed club feel into the body of the record, "Doe Deer" provides Crystal Castles with a chaotic twist on the very next track.

One of the shining moments of the sophomore album comes from a techno cover of Sigur Ros' "Year of Silence." With music that nearly defines the opposite of Sigur Ros' musical style, Jonsi's vocals blend perfectly with the rhythmic style Crystal Castles has created.

With their second self-titled album, there is certainly plenty of creativity full of sounds never heard before in popular music. By the time "I am Made of Chalk" closes the album, Crystal Castles have set themselves apart from the other electronic artists making names for themselves today. Crystal Castles will doubtfully become a household name anytime soon, but anyone capable of opening their minds to a bit of the obscure will be greatly rewarded with this record.

Similar Artists: Metric, Justice

Track Suggestion: "Celestica"

The first track on Crystal Castles' 2nd self-titled CD may be the perfect metaphor for the entire album. Fainting Spells starts as a cacophonous, screechy wall of noise, so immediately off-putting, you'll be tempted at first listen to yank the disc from your player and throw it, frisbee-style, at your local record store hipster's horn-rimmed spectacle covered eyes. However, if you're patient, within minutes, a slick hip hop groove within the song rises to the surface appearing only long enough for you to wrap your head around, and make sense of the noise before the song closes up around itself.

The rest of Crystal Castles (II) see-saws between catchier dancey songs and much more abrasive numbers. Regardless, Alice Glass' cryptic poetry echoes throughout, and repeated listens reveal a darkly subversive work which lets the adventurous listener into CC's strange and beautiful world of sound.

I want to start off by saying I really don't listen to much of this music type. But one day, I was hungering for something that was a completely different direction than my normal taste. I had just bought about 20 doom metal CD's in the last few months, and I had pretty much exhausted all the new artists I would find there for a while. So I was thinking there's got to be some good electronic music out there. Something that isn't your boring rave/techno pulsating beat we all know. I stumbled upon the "chiptune" genre, and while I thought many of those artists were pretty cool, most of them sounded a little too video-gamey and sounded like they were limiting themselves. So with the help of a good online radio program, I stumbled upon Crystal Castles. I kept playing their station and loved every song I heard. They seem to take the chiptune genre a bit further - while having some 8-bit sounds in there, they add more modern tones and vocals, more polished production, and their own unique sound and experimentation, making for a sort of indie-electro feel.

It's really hard to explain why I like this so much. It's just really good, really unique, and has attitude. It's for sure one of my favorite/most addicting albums of the year. I think for me it's just something so fresh and different - even fans of their first album seem to think so as well. There's just something magical about their sound - like you need some sort of special arcane understanding to enjoy it. I attribute it to a lucid dream if you will - the music can be dreamlike: surreal, otherworldly, and really bizarre at times, but so good, you don't notice how bizarre. But at the same time, it is clear, energetic, and distinct. You never want to wake up.

The first track I heard was "Baptism" - its intensity couldn't go unnoticed and got me hooked. Now though, I'd say my favorite tracks are "Violent Dreams," "Vietnam," "Suffocation," and "Pap Smear." "Not in Love" seems to be a very popular track as well... might as well list them all at this point.

Now, the reason this album gets 4 stars is because there are a few songs that are a bit too experimental for me. Unfortunately, I usually skip most of these, and I truthfully hate skipping tracks. The very first track, "Fainting Spells" being the prime example of this - a wall of twisted noise and agitating vocals will certainly test the listener's sanity, I know I questioned myself saying something like "What have I gotten myself into?" "Doe Deer" is another that is almost unbearable to listen to. "Birds" isn't very noisy, but I consider this song boring and extremely repetitive compared to the rest, so for me it's usually a skipper. "I Am Made of Chalk" may immediately turn the listener off but if he is patient for the first few seconds, it is a really nice mostly ambient track, with some crazy vocal manipulations but I think it proves to be a very good, albeit interesting track. I really wanted to give 5 stars, because the songs I do love are some of the best I've heard all year. If those first three tracks mentioned were as good as the rest, this would easily be a five-star album.

I have just ordered their first album, and cannot wait for more. These guys are some of the most exciting new musicians I have discovered in a while.

Also, check out the track Not in Love (feat. Robert Smith of The Cure) for some more pure amazing awesomeness.