Crystal Stilts on Angular records

Glad I randomly checked out Angular records thanks to Norman this morning and saw that this single from Crystal Stilts is due out Monday.

Say whatever you want about the sound being derivative but there's more to these songs...there's always great catchy melodies I want to hear a billion times on top of the ever present echo. There's nothing original on this release (no exclusive tracks or anything) so you really don't have to jump on it, both Departure and Prismatic Room are on the full length from Slumberland, so just go get that. I couldn't resist though, I pretty mush ordered it before I checked. That's how they roll for me right now. Hurry up, get it, it's good.

I heard that their drummer, Frankie is now full time with the Stilts and the Vivian Girls have replaced her with her doppelganger? I was thinking her drumming is such an essential part of that sound, it's really a unique piece of the puzzle, she put a undeniable spin on those tracks....anyone else that comes in is just going to be trying to recreate it. Maybe not, but it would be my fear as a drummer for sure.
I love to hear her stamp on the Stilts as well...that tambourine on a tom drum played at the same time....droning on, that heartbeat for every track. Overall the Stilts picked a very specific framework...a sound that always works....what I wanted every JAMC song to sound like, but then it would just get too uncatchy and I'd skip onto something else.
So they found their strength...that fuzzed out, 60's psyche - shoegaze sound and went all out with it.... then they wrote great tracks...like they are character actors auditioning for a play. Who are you getting? Who cares, they wear sunglasses...well it's good.

Only $8 including overseas shipping...wow I really must have a lot of faith in the post office again for some misguided reason...if there's any god, this will arrive intact from England, even though they live down the street.

Angular says:

Crystal Stilts - Departure

Brooklyn's spectral garage-pop quintet, Crystal Stilts, release their debut UK single through Angular, the first to be taken from forthcoming album ‘Alight of Night’.

Departure is a concise atmospheric echoing masterpiece, but has a pop sensibility that is already grabbing the attention of many people in the UK.

Ltd Edition 7"

Tracklisting:

Crystal Stilts - Departure (ARC043)

7" Vinyl Single

1.		Crystal Stilts - Departure
2.		Crystal Stilts - Prismatic Room

From Norman recs:
Crystal Stilts - 'Departure' (7" on Angular)

I really like Crystal Stilts but have suffered a slight problem with the vocals, as if they're merely incidental and detract from the relative richness & smoky analogue production of their 60's garage/noir-wave. It's not that they're remotely bad, or annoying. I merely wish they had a feisty female vocal to bounce of the slightly blurred sub JAMC/Interpol meandering. Get that Frankie lady who they nicked off Vivian Girls to holler a bit from her drum stool in future? These 2 tracks lifted from their original Slumberland full lengther and licensed to Angular for their 1st official UK release are quite different beasts, the first 'Departure' is fucking excellent, loaded with a shitkicking voodoo thump, a trashed scratchy Rickenbacker guitar squall, a looming bass grumbling away underneath & an overall vibe not unlike early Cure waltzing along a crumbling promenade with Clinic & VU! 'Prismatic Room' sounds like Blue Orchids & The Clean doing a drunken 60's psych cover on mogadon, the shambling tambourine-fuelled mess propped up with a cheeky organ that is both sad & uplifting at the same time, those lovely dying swallow tremolo effects poised for the very best in entertainment. Actually, I just got over my hang-up with the vocals, this is just excellent. SOTW. - Brian xxx