Weekly Release Spotlight: Crystal Stilts
Posted on 4/11/2011
Crystal Stilts
In Love With Oblivion
[Slumberland]
In Love With Oblivion
[Slumberland]
Crystal Stilts won't make sense to everyone. Their debut "Alight of Night" was drenched in reverb aimed at making Brad Hargett's vocals totally indistinguishable and the Joy Division comparisons were rampant; it was "lo-fi" as everyone tends to deem anything which falls even slightly in the moody category. That debut was also critically acclaimed, and what started as an unknown Brooklyn-based band eventually turned into a massive underground following over the succeeding three years. And in those three years, Crystal Stilts released nothing but a few one-off 7"s. Frankie Rose left as their drummer to start her solo affair, and you would have thought the band wasn't really into this whole Crystal Stilts thing.
But then a new song dropped late last year, and we all figured out where Crystal Stilts had been. When the first single "Shake the Shackles" hit the internet, many heralded it the savior of post-punk rock and roll, the strongest song Crystal Stilts had ever done, and arguably one of the best tracks of the year. This band has had an indelible imprint on my life (they are my favorite band by far, but I'll spare you the emotional details), and hearing that tune made me stop dead in my tracks. This is a group which made me love music all over again.
The process of recording this follow-up, "In Love With Oblivion," must have been a multi-year affair. It is much like Grizzly Bear's "Veckatimest." Minus the suggary harmonies and crisp production, each instrument is literally pivotal to the overall composition. "Invisible Cities" is one of the strongest tracks, boasted by a repetitive drum pattern all of a sudden broken up by an explosion of horns in the last thirty seconds. With the exception of that though, the band's set-up is typical: guitar, keyboard, bass, and drums. And for those four instruments to sound so new in a sound so steeped in 60s pop is completely beyond me; each part comes through the purposeful palette muting. "Flying Into the Sun" is one of the more emotional songs and one of the slowest. Placed halfway through the album, it's the first time that Mr. Hargett really breaks out of a monotone; the results are gorgeous alongside the flickering riff of the guitar.
I wouldn't be surprised if Crystal Stilts' second album ends up with uniformly positive reviews like their debut. I also wouldn't be surprised if people just don't get it. You inherently must like this style of music to have a leg up over other people, but where "Alight of Night" failed to have enough pizzazz to garner the more average listener not interested in this style, "In Love With Oblivion" is cleaner, more focused, and one terribly solid record. They are coming to the 7th St. Entry in Minneapolis on May 18. The band has never been here and it might be ages before they come back again; I suggest if you have any ounce of interest in seeing a band on the verge of radicalizing the way we hear music, that you head downtown that night.
But then a new song dropped late last year, and we all figured out where Crystal Stilts had been. When the first single "Shake the Shackles" hit the internet, many heralded it the savior of post-punk rock and roll, the strongest song Crystal Stilts had ever done, and arguably one of the best tracks of the year. This band has had an indelible imprint on my life (they are my favorite band by far, but I'll spare you the emotional details), and hearing that tune made me stop dead in my tracks. This is a group which made me love music all over again.
The process of recording this follow-up, "In Love With Oblivion," must have been a multi-year affair. It is much like Grizzly Bear's "Veckatimest." Minus the suggary harmonies and crisp production, each instrument is literally pivotal to the overall composition. "Invisible Cities" is one of the strongest tracks, boasted by a repetitive drum pattern all of a sudden broken up by an explosion of horns in the last thirty seconds. With the exception of that though, the band's set-up is typical: guitar, keyboard, bass, and drums. And for those four instruments to sound so new in a sound so steeped in 60s pop is completely beyond me; each part comes through the purposeful palette muting. "Flying Into the Sun" is one of the more emotional songs and one of the slowest. Placed halfway through the album, it's the first time that Mr. Hargett really breaks out of a monotone; the results are gorgeous alongside the flickering riff of the guitar.
I wouldn't be surprised if Crystal Stilts' second album ends up with uniformly positive reviews like their debut. I also wouldn't be surprised if people just don't get it. You inherently must like this style of music to have a leg up over other people, but where "Alight of Night" failed to have enough pizzazz to garner the more average listener not interested in this style, "In Love With Oblivion" is cleaner, more focused, and one terribly solid record. They are coming to the 7th St. Entry in Minneapolis on May 18. The band has never been here and it might be ages before they come back again; I suggest if you have any ounce of interest in seeing a band on the verge of radicalizing the way we hear music, that you head downtown that night.
Stream: Crystal Stilts - "Shake The Shackles"