It amazes me how much mileage Crsystal Stilts keep getting out of their rigid formula of garagey surf rock. The band’s been around now the better half of a decade (also landing of the cover of a Deli mag in the meantime) and released more than a handful of tight, cohesive albums, each adhering to this same formula, but managing to sound unique within the band’s growing canon. One might expect things to begin getting a bit tired by this point. But instead of contracting, Crystal Stilts’ bizarre little spacebeach just keeps getting bigger.
In Love with Oblivion (Slumberland Records) is Crsystal Stilts boldest step yet into their strange and curious world. While this record marks a much more playful and exploratory use of electronics and guitars, the biggest leap forward here is Brad Hargett’s voice. He displays an unexpected range on songs like ‘Blood Barons,’ and some of his lyrics are great (at least when I can understand them).
Beyond this, In Love with Oblivion gives us some of Crystal Stilts’ catchiest songs, lovingly coupled with some of their strangest sonic adventures to date. ‘Shake the Shackles’ is catchy as hell, while ‘Invisible City’ is so dance-ready it strangely recalls Dub Narcotic Sound System. The experimentation from the squeaks and squawks in opener ‘Sycamore Tree,’ to the nearly 40 second long fadeout at the end of ‘Alien Rivers’ sounds like the band’s dance party is traveling the cosmos. This is an LP with a much fuller vision than most of their surf rock Brooklyn peers, and one that reveals itself more fully with each subsequent listen. Next time you host a dance party on an outer space beach, be sure to bring this record along to the cabana. – Mike Levine
