Saturday, May 8, 2010

Album Note - Crystal Castles: Crystal Castles


MILES OF TRANE: YES. Experimental, electronic, lo-fi, hypnotic. Their 2008 debut album soared high and so there has been much anticipation for the second. Some like the first one better, some the second, but the arguments are over nuances that have the tell-tale sign that both are essentials for everyone except anyone with a full aversion to the genre. The experimental part can be quite challenging at times, but it is brilliant in general and repeated listens validate a conclusion that it is quality material that is well-performed. I sort of mix up a look at (I) and (II) here, but they have the same titles (the I and II and for reference purposes and are not actually part of the titles), so it seems appropriate.

Pitchfork: Album Reviews: Crystal Castles: Crystal Castles (II) 8.5/10.0 (Best New Music designation) (this refers to the second album with cover of the lone person in a graveyard, not the one where both members show the top of their heads to the camera).

Their first album: Pitchfork: Album Reviews: Crystal Castles: Crystal Castles(I) 7.8/10.0. (the one where both members show the top of their heads to the camera). Listed by NME Magazine as one of the 50 best albums of the decade.
Crystal Castles (I) reviews at Metacritic.com 73/100 (Generally favorable reviews)


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Their first album:


I'm not in agreement that (II) is noticeably less fantastic than (I), but it is less fantastic, just not noticeably so. This is a generally on-target observations by the needle drop guy: