The Crystal Teardrop - …Is Forming

​The Crystal Teardrop

…Is Forming
Rise Above Records; 2025

By Jamie Funk
​

The debut album ...Is Forming by UK band The Crystal Teardrop is steeped so deeply in late 60s psychedelia that, from the very first note, it feels like you have stepped into a technicolor time warp. The band nods to multiple eras in their press materials, but aesthetically and sonically, they are locked in with a very specific vision. Even their press photos make it seem like they should be sharing a stage with Jefferson Airplane at some outdoor acid drenched festival in 1968.

The album opens with “Colours Changing,” and it immediately sets the tone. The track is soaked in reverb, with swirling guitar textures and live sounding drums that feel warm and unpolished in the best way. Everything about it, from the vocal phrasing to the pacing, feels period specific. But instead of coming across as imitation, it feels like they are channeling something. I was into it right away. The vocals sit in that perfect middle ground between clarity and haze, and the musicianship is tight without being showy.

“Through With You” is a burst of energy. It feels fast, loose, and slightly rebellious, like something you would hear blasting from a garage down the street. There is a real exuberance to it that caught me off guard. “Borrowed Time” might be the most Byrds adjacent track here, and I mean that as a compliment. The jangly guitar patterns and harmonies are so locked in that it is hard not to feel transported. It is also one of the catchiest songs on the record. I kept finding myself humming it hours later.

“The Rain Parade” is a standout. Something about the way it is mixed, the air around the vocals, the placement of the instruments, made it feel timeless. It has that rare quality of sounding like a song you have known forever even if you are hearing it for the first time. “Two Hearts” taps into that same energy, though it leans a bit more into The Doors territory. The way the organ and guitar weave together gives it a hypnotic pull that I really enjoyed.

“For One More Day” is lush and comforting. The Byrds came to mind again, but there is also a gentleness to it that reminded me of The Mamas and the Papas. Then “Into the Unknown” arrives with a surprising twist. There is a shoegaze quality to it, like they pulled their psychedelic palette into the 90s for a moment, and it works beautifully. It is dense, dreamy, and a little harder to pin down, which made it one of the more emotionally affecting tracks for me.

As the album continues, it stays remarkably consistent. There is no obvious filler, but a few songs did rise above the rest. “Turn You Down,” “Nine Times Nine,” and the closing title track all hit that sweet spot of nostalgia and freshness. The closer in particular feels like a final curtain call, wrapping up the record’s themes without overexplaining them.

...Is Forming is not trying to be everything at once. It knows what it wants to be and it delivers on that vision with confidence and care. If you have even a passing affection for the psychedelic music of the late 60s and early 70s, you are going to feel right at home here. 

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