Crystal Stilts - Departure
Crystal Stilts’ second UK single may begin with a five second bass-slap, but it soon descends into a rather more nihilistic, Joy Division-esque lament.
Singer Brad Hargett drawls his words in Ian Curtis-like disillusion, invoking emotion through his very lack of it. It’s a dense, swirling cloud of garage-pop that’s alive through its lifelessness - think Velvet Underground (the b-side, Prismatic Room, could well - with a little imagination - have been an outtake from White Light/White Heat), think The Jesus And Mary Chain, and you begin to get a sense of the mood that permeates this song.
As a result, this Brooklyn five-piece stand out fiercely from their geographical contemporaries. There are no bright colours here, no psychedelic whimsy. Instead, the band have delved deep into the past to find their true roots. Departure is a song that harks back to bands whose music came with an inherent statement or message, whether that was the gloomy, hypnotic suicide notes of Joy Division or the anarchic musical rebellion of Lou Reed and his not so merry band of men.
Crystal Stilts carry such heavy weight well – using, but not abusing, their influences. It’s just a shame their name makes them sound like every other Brooklyn band currently in vogue, because, they’re anything but.
4:43 PM | 20/01/2009
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