It’s been a while since my words have graced these pages, so you know it must be something good if I’m taking the time to come out of retirement for this. It’s not that I’ve been unusually busy, but it’s the fact that I haven’t found anything lately that has made me fiend for a repeat listen. That is, until last week.
Granted I’m a bit late on the whole Crystal Castles worship, but better late than never. I first saw them open for Metric in Philadelphia in late 2007, but their self-titled debut album, had yet to be released. In one of the most original sounding albums I’ve ever heard, they combine dance-floor synths, rock-heavy drums and mutilated vocals. One of the most prominent influences on the album is without a doubt, Nintendo– the simplistic beeps of the system’s first generation runs across almost every song.
The leadoff track, however, is beyond phenomenal. “Untrust Us,” which samples Death From Above 1979’s “Dead Womb,” switches the guitar heavy rock for layered electronics that evokes a relaxing atmosphere, but also hinges on being a dancefloor staple. A small remix of the song would slay. But the song is a collection of bizarre lyrics that can not possibly be a language, but instead a made up language a la Sigur Ros that reflects the mood of the song.
The album continues to kill. With tracks like the extremely Nintendo driven “Air War,” and “Courtship Dating” which could be the beat to next year’s number one hip-hop song, theres nary a song not worth listening to. It’s too soon to see how high this album will lie on my year-end list, but I’m fairly certain you will see it lying towards the top.
[Left Click, Follow Link to Download]
Crystal Castles – “Untrust Us”
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