Crystal Castles "Crystal Castles (III)" (2012)

Crystal Castles (III)
release date: Nov. 12, 2012
format: digital
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,20]
producer: Ethan Kath
label: Fiction Records - nationality: Canada

Tracklist: 1. "Plague" (4 / 5) - 2. "Kerosene" - 3. "Wrath of God" (other video) - 4. "Affection" - 5. "Pale Flesh" - 6. "Sad Eyes" - 7. "Insulin" - 8. "Transgender" - 9. "Violent Youth" - 10. "Telepath" - 11. "Mercenary" (4 / 5) - 12. "Child I Will Hurt You"

3rd studio album by Crystal Castles. All the band's three studio releases are simply just called Crystal Castles - for convenience labeled I, II, and III. The music is unchanged in regard to the previous release, and I think it would be nice with some development of some sort in their otherwise fine electroclash compositions. For a long time I found that this was a lesser release, especially compared to the band's 2010 release, but now I find that it's really a fine but also both complex and somewhat sinister album.
[ allmusic.com, The Guardian 4 / 5, Slant 2,5 / 5 stars ]

Crystal Castles "Not in Love (feat. Robert Smith)" (2010) (single)

Not in Love (feat. Robert Smith), single
release date: Nov. 14, 2010
format: digital
[single rate: 4,5 / 5]
producer: Ethan Kath
label: Fiction Records - nationality: Canada

( live at Reading 2011 )

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Crystal Castles "Crystal Castles" (II) (2010)

Crystal Castles
release date: May 24, 2010
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,40]
producer: Ethan Kath, Jacknife Lee, Paul Epworth, Alex Bonenfant
label: Fiction Records - nationality: Canada

Track highlights: 1. "Fainting Spells" - 2. "Celestica" (4 / 5) - 4. "Baptism" - 5. "Year Of Silence" - 11. "Pap Smear" - 12. "Not in Love" (4 / 5)

2nd studio album by Crystal Castles. The album marks a shift of style and is the duo's best effort as well as its most homogeneous and mainstream sounding album. It's still electroclash but I find that the experimental side is less dominant and the individual songs are generally more melodic. A few tracks scattered throughout the album are like electro-punk flashes in between beautiful compositions, and makes the whole experience more exciting. The track "Not in Love" is a cover of a song by the Canadian band Platinum Blonde, which was originally released on the debut album Standing in the Dark (1983). The track was later that year remixed featuring Robert Smith of The Cure featuring on vocals, which was Crystal Castles' biggest single hit.
[ allmusic.com, Spin, PopMatters 4 / 5 stars ]

Crystal Castles "Crystal Castles" (2008)

Crystal Castles [debut]
release date: Mar. 18, 2008
format: digital
[album rate: 2 / 5] [2,20]
producer: Ethan Kath, Matthew Wagner, Squeak E. Clean
label: Lies Records - nationality: Canada

Track highlights: 1. "Untrust Us" (3 / 5) - 9. "1991" (2,5 / 5) - 10. "Vanished" (3 / 5)

Studio debut album by Crystal Castles, a Canadian duo consisting of musical composer and instrumentalist Ethan Kath and vocalist Alice Glass. The music is experimental electroclash with incorporation of samples. The album is actually a collection of unreleased material and singles compiled as the band's first album. I mostly find it annoying and of little interest. Apparently, the band wanted to re-use the cover art from their first ep Alice Practice (2006), which featured artwork by Trevor Brown but wasn't granted permission.
[ allmusic.com, NME 4 / 5 stars ]

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Album cover art
by Trevor Brown
for "Alice Practice", 2006.