crystal castles - iii

Crystal Castles

(iii)
Fiction;Casablanca;2012

4 out of 5

Although this is not the lengthy, pulsating, driven, and at times bewildering chaos that made (II) such a massive follow-up to (I), (III) stands its ground. True to their nature, Ethan and Alice have made a spasmodic and rapturous collection of tunes to throw into the vault. Tonally and thematically their most cohesive album, by no means can the same be said for flow or structure. These are separate tracks that speak of discord, trauma, beauty, and violence. Alice is more muted and twisted in her vocals, but it doesn't come off as childish. There is a method to the madness. I'm slowly falling in love with these songs as much as any of their other tracks, and if you're a fan, it probably won't take you too many listens to get into the album either.

For people just coming into the fold, this may be a great introduction. There is emotion and emphasis sized down for the average listener whereas their first two albums can be over-whelming to take in at once.

If anything I'm left, as always, wanting more from a duo who seem to try to give everything of themselves to their audience. Each album is a different monster. This monster seems to be hiding in the shadows- small, sharp, desperate, and willing to run away with you if you let it.

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