Crystal Castles - CRYSTAL CASTLES (II) - Fiction Records

It was a little over two years ago that Crystal Castles released their debut album amidst a mass tide of electro pop that was sweeping the nation, yet they stood out amongst the crowd back then and received plaudits from critics and fans alike. Since then, of course, the world and his wife have all bought second-hand synthesisers, with a view to gaining a slice of the action. So does the second edition of the Crystal Castles discography still rise above the rest? Well, despite little departure from the debut, the answer is yes!

There’s the same amalgam of nineties dance influences such as house, trance and rave and a clear leaning towards the big beat of The Chemical Brothers. The execution has a bold vibrancy to it, which is what separates the Canadian duo from their counterparts. Much of the current synth pop output is disingenuous and so to find an honest, committed record like this is actually somewhat refreshing. It does suffer from a lack of pace change though, as the bass drum pumps out dancefloor monotony throughout, broken up eventually by the superb ambience of “Violent Dreams.” The other variation comes in the form of the Faithless pastiche of “Baptism”, which stands out as one of the finer moments in the set.

I remain unconvinced at the long-term validity of the genre and won’t bear any disappointment when it does fizzle out. But when I do cast a glance back at the few finer exponents to be born out of it, I am sure Crystal Castles will be on that (short) list. Chemical Brothers they are not, but this album exceeds the latest offering by messrs Rowlands and Simons, by some measure!

3.5/5

www.myspace.com/crystalcastles

TC