Crystal Castles III
Crystal Castles
Fiction/Casablanca/Universal Republic
Crystal Castles have never been known for their focus. Although fuelled by an electronic and dance aesthetic, their albums sprawl across a variety of styles, tied down by Ethan Kath’s chopped-up synths and Alice Glass’ often screamed vocals.
Their debut album showed very little indicators of where the band would go in the future, and their 2010 follow up showed more of a focus on heavy synth-pop, although had multiple outliers. Judging Crystal Castles’ previous albums, one could hope that the band would create a record consistent with its predecessors, particularly one that built on the band’s strengths. Their third eponymous album is the one that finally delivers.
The album’s sound is immediately sinister, with album opener “Plague” bringing in some of the heaviest synth sounds and thumping beats in the bands’ history. Also impressive is the improvement in Alice Glass’ vocals. On previous albums, Glass’ go-to style seemed to be to maniacal scream over the song, and this is not necessarily bad, as it fits the chaotic style present on those albums. On III, however, the more controlled and melodic singing fits very well with the focused sound that the band seems to be striving for.
Despite this more focused sound, Crystal Castles have not lost the energy that fuelled their previous albums. “Insulin” picks up where II’s highlight, ”Doe Deer” left off, pitting chopped-up vocals against a distorted beat, the two becoming unrecognizable from one another. “Wrath of God,” perhaps the strongest song on the album, is Crystal Castles at their most straightforward. With a thumping dance beat, chiming synthesizers and a chorus fuelled by Glass’ muffled vocals, the song hits on every one of the band’s strengths creating the kind of anthem that fuels the band’s famous rave-like live shows.
“Child I Will Hurt You,” the album’s closer track, is easily the biggest surprise of the album. Glass’ vocals are the centre of this track, as she sings one of the bands most spine-tingling melodies to date. The vocals remain in a state of calm, almost melancholy control. This is backed by floating, delicate synths, and not a single drum hit. The track is unlike anything the band has ever made, and is incredibly disarming, if not for its sincerity and the fact that it is actually pretty, than at least for the fact that it stands in stark contrast to all the other songs in the band’s discography.
The album as a whole has a much more foreboding aesthetic than anything else the band has made. The cover depicts a man who has been tear-gassed being caressed by his mother. The image itself is incredibly powerful and mark’s the album’s heavy, emotional atmosphere. The band’s new sound reflects an evolution in their work.
Fans of Crystal Castles’ noisier, more chaotic moments will not find as much material on III to enjoy as on the previous albums, but this means that the band is heading forward. Crystal Castles used completely new equipment on this album, and it is extremely evident. III reflects a new direction in Crystal Castles’ sound and a logical step of progress for the band.
