Ever since their debut self titled album came out in 2008; Crystal Castles have been every hipsters favorite electro-punk band. And I won't lie, that debut album is really effin' awesome. With Tracks like "Untrust Us" and "Crimewave" it's hard not to love. But their second album ( also self-titled) left me feeling a little disappointed. It lacked the spark that made the debut so enjoyable; and instead, a lot of the tracks on that album felt too subdued and buried in effects.
And that feeling has only been reinforced with the latest project from this Toronto-based duo, an album that is, yet again, self titled.
And it's apparent from the start that CC have chosen to go with a sound more reminiscent of tracks like "Celestica" and less like the aforementioned tracks from their debut. And that's kind of sad, since it's songs like those that got me into this band in the first place. But still, not every track on here is a bummer. Take the track "Kerosene" for example; it possesses all the things that make a CC song great, with glitchy vocals and a pretty good beat.
But songs like "Plague" and "Affection" are either too simple or bury the vocals in a sea of reverb. Which is upsetting, because I think the singer, Alice Glass has a lot of personality, and it's a shame that the production stifles that a bit.
Aside from a few standout moments ( like the closer) (iii) just doesn't do it for me like the debut, or even (ii) did... I know that these guys can still pen a good tune, and the cohesiveness of this album shows that they are getting better at putting a concept together. However, (iii) suffers from some pretty big problems, and is a very bland listen because of them.
6/10
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