A Belated Review for Crystal Castles (II)

After great success with their first eponymous album, Crystal Castles have become an entity separated entirely from other modern electronic-thrash artists through efficient use of 8-bit technology and raw production techniques. Back in April of this year, I was informed that digital copies of their new album had become available and I jumped at the chance. After fifty minutes of listening however, I was disappointed to find myself feeling strangely empty.



Despite the usual Lo-Fi chaos that I personally see as the essence of the Ontario duo, the album is, in many ways, not as compelling as the first. There is undoubtedly less screaming, which I felt to be the first release’s downfall, but the album’s successes are far outweighed by an apparent lack of creativity in all other facets; the riffs, lyrics, beats and even the production seem to missing something. To put it more clearly, it seems as though the beloved duo are trying too hard to fit the expectations of listeners. In this they have lost the touch of simplicity that is the essence of true 8-bit thrash.

This is not to imply that the album isn’t at all worth listening to. In fact I would certainly recommend it to somebody looking for a wholesome electronica experience. Crystal Castles (II) is undoubtedly a record that can be enjoyed for its variety. That is to say (and this may seem completely out of place among the comments above), the duo have achieved a state in music that The Velvet Underground & Nico reached some forty odd years ago; the album is noisy, sloppy and at times belligerent, but it somehow still maintains the power to send the listener into a drool filled stupor with its dreaminess.
So not all bad I suppose. Maybe I was nit picking before. Who cares? I just came to thrash.