Crystal Stilts - Alight of Night

We all like to be happy, but it’s not very rock ‘n’ roll is it? Smiling is frowned upon. Looking glum is where it’s at. No doubt Brooklyn’s Crystal Stilts look dour in their press shots, if they have any, but inside they’re undoubtedly dancing. With a distinctly spectral sound (read echo-heavy, indecipherable vocals and purposefully demo-esque production) the latest of the Crystal-named bands cast shadowy inversions of The Beach Boys, The Cramps and The Jesus and Mary Chain against a backdrop of skewed, ethereal dream pop. There’s toe-tapping numbers like the track Crystal Stilts itself, with sweeping Wurlitzer accompaniment, along with stand-outs like Departure which pairs ominous vocal drawling with go-go garage beats and Dick Dale surf-guitar licks. It’s all so very simple and is nicked from a multitude of sources, but with nothing new under the sun these days, Crystal Stilts still manage to bask in the reflected glory. [Darren Carle]