Music Review: Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles (II)

As mentioned earlier on Blogcritics, the duo of Ethan Kath and Alice Glass have returned in 2010 to make another clashing combination of pretty and punishing electronic music. On their debut 2008 self-titled record, they managed to wrestle back and forth with their talents of getting listeners to dance to one track and then annihilate the room they’re in with the following track.

In this day and age of the blog-culled single, it is quite likely that many fans of the band only cozied up to the more excellently accessible tunes from their debut record (such as “Alice Practice,” and “Magic Spells”). However, as it becomes immediately apparent on their second record, Crystal Castles (II), the duo forcefully maintain their multiple personalities.

The first track off of the new disc is “Fainting Spells,” which could easily form the chaotic basis of a new sequel for a Poltergeist movie soundtrack. Overcoming a menacing background loop, Glass’s fractured voice sounds as if it’s coming from within a television. This rather ghostly beginning that has moments of stressful, hard beats could set one’s mood to off-kilter mode. Kids sporting glo-sticks and expecting a smooth entrance will undoubtedly whimper.

Then, as can be expected, Crystal Castles switch to satin. “Celestica” is an exceptionally pretty tune that can be either danced to, chilled out on, or night driven. Glass’s echoed vocals float peacefully over stuttered synths, while a steady dance tempo pushes the song as a sort of contrast. This is the kind of song that the clubbers like, but can obviously frustrate the noise mongering fans. As the album proceeds, I imagine both groups can get rather confused. If one has the patience, it is worth perfecting a balance of interest with these guys.

As the album continues, it is clear that frenzy and bombast, as well as Glass’s primal side, are interspersed amidst cooling tunes. “Doe Deer” is a mad dash rush into a wall, while “Birds” fluctuates between hard rock and eerie instrumental moments that sound as if one is listening to a metal grinder at work. The group dabbles with darker feelings in “Year of Silence,” which stands out if only because it sounds as if one has to march to it during stormy, oppressive weather.

Article Author: Evan Mauser

Once a man only known for juggling numbers and finding broken stuff, Evan Mauser finally puts his literary skills on cyberpaper. Sure, he's dabbled with some prose and novel in the past, but he mostly spends his time listening to the guitar and drum. …

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