A Diverse, Strange, and Fascinating Sound: "Crystal Castles" and "Crystal Castles II"

“Dancy-screechy-boopy-boppa-boingo-boingo” is how Crystal Castles’ two albums were first described to me, and the description is apt.  Or so I thought; there is much more going on beneath their façade of just another electronic/house/dance fusion group.  After listening to both albums once, I was left with a strong impression of only two or three songs, but intrigued enough to delve once again into their confusing world of melded genres, haunting vocals, and screeching grinds laid over entrancing beats.

After my second time through, I was hooked.  Throughout both albums, it is the mash-up of diversity within a consistent sound that creates the appeal that brings me back again and again.

I.  Crystal Castles
With some songs evoking impressions of an electronic Beethoven symphony, and others little more than club beats, their self-titled album is a diverse first offering.  Throughout, they experiment with otherworldly sounds and effects, but consistently come back to an eminently listenable album full of catchy beats and clever hooks.  On this, their 2008 debut, they seem reluctant to stray too far from a comfortable dance club sound, except for one thing.

At first distracting, Crystal Castles peppers the front half of the album with sounds that seem to be from an 8-bit video game, instantly reminding the listener of Super Mario Brothers or Donkey Kong.  After recovering from the initial surprise, these effects become part of the larger merging of noises and sounds that create the album’s unique signature.

“Magic Spells” leads the charge among the spacey, ethereal pieces, with a simple beat set to overarching tones, a-rhythmically floating above the main piece.  Essentially lyric-less, with only a few seconds of quiet, distorted speech, “Magic Spells” foreshadows the more overtly symphonic songs of the group’s more mature second album.

In a sharp contrast, “Air War” is the most danceable song of the album.  With occasionally nonsensical lyrics (such as “bronze by gold heard the hoofrons”) repeating over themselves, the song relies on its beat and hook to draw in the listener, and they do their job well.  I normally rely almost exclusively on lyrics for my musical enjoyment, but when the beat drops at 1:20 or changes altogether at 2:25, I would defy anyone not to start dancing a little, whether in a club or driving a car.  Finishing with a 30-second flourish that demands to be called “Airy”, the song forces the listener to contemplate the “War” of the title.

The group’s biggest departure from the standard club tracks is with the fifth song “Xxzxcuzx Me”, filled with the video game noises at this point familiar to the listener.  Set to a pounding, thumping bass beat and distorted, half-screamed vocals, the song is a one minute and forty-five second assault on the ears.  The lyrics here are more substantial, but hide their meaning behind metaphors of a robot revolution, from the robots’ perspective: “Just because we don’t feel flesh/ doesn’t mean we don’t fear death.”  These three selections bookend the album’s diverse catalog, with variations on the three themes melting together to fill the remaining 13 tracks of this hour-long album.

II. Crystal Castles II
To self-title an album is to declare that the album represents you completely: it is you.  To self-title a second album is to declare a fundamental change in the music: that while the first is who we were, this is who we are now, and Crystal Castles’ 2010 follow-up album, Crystal Castles II, does exactly that.  It is difficult to overstate the amount of growth that took place in the two years separating the albums, and I will try to avoid too much hyperbole.  But Crystal Castles’ second effort has a profoundly different sound than their earlier work: more refined and mature, sacrificing only a little of their experimental feel.  Still possessing of a wide range in style, each track feels like a grown-up version of an effort on the first album.

While none of the tracks would be entirely out of place at a club, they are all more complex than the usual fare. Thoughtfully crafted, taking care to avoid the repetitive clichés of the trance genre, each track is also easily distinguished from the others.  From the dark brooding on “Year of Silence” to the club beat of “Baptism” to the screeched lyrics and hard beats of “Doe Deer”, Crystal Castles has not abandoned the diversity that made their first record so memorable.

After a screeching intro track, the listener is treated to “Celestica,” a nearly radio-ready song with intelligible lyrics and an engaging hook.  By no means a pop song, its bridge breaks down into an ethereal pause in the pulsing beat, picking up again to finish strongly.  On the other end of the spectrum, “Violent Dreams” is far from what its name implies.  A peaceful symphony, it gives the impression of softer artists like Enya, but with a hint of darkness below the surface of the breathy lyrics and pulsing string effects.

But the song that steals the show is the memorable “Empathy”.  A melding of different Crystal Castles styles, it has a pounding beat over a string of catchy notes, diffuse sounds, and background lyrics.  One of their few songs with a message (or at least one not obscured by metaphor), the chorus breathes “You must work in symmetry/ you must earn their empathy.”  Addictive and sensual, “Empathy” is the stand-out track on the record, the center of a solid piece of work by a group hitting their stride with their sophomore album, a place where many groups struggle to repeat earlier success.

Crystal Castles does not repeat their first album’s successes, instead creating new ones while still breaking new ground and avoiding a mainstream sound.

III. Summary
Neither of Crystal Castles’ albums is an easy listen.  They demand attention and consideration, and do not accept being played softly in the background.  Their diversity makes them difficult to fit into any situation: some songs are too slow for clubs, most too fast for relaxation.  They force the listener to really listen, a laudable quality into today’s world of pop acts churned out by the dozen.  There is heart and soul – and more importantly, thought - put into each track; there are no throwaway songs to be skipped over.

While some of the effects and sounds may seem discordant or even annoying to some listeners not used to the more experimental aspects of electronic music, they are quickly made familiar.  You may not connect with Crystal Castles’ difficult sound on the first listen, but give them a second try, and you’ll enjoy this eclectic mix of genres and feelings.  The songs are complex, and do not play well at low volume or on tinny speakers; all of their complexity and tonal range must be experienced to appreciate them.

So when you listen to Crystal Castles’ extraordinary albums, use your best speakers, and turn them up.  Otherwise, Crystal Castles will sound like cheap glass houses.