Crystal Stilts -‘In Love With Oblivion’ (Fortuna Pop)

When Crystal Stilts released their debut album, Alight With Night, a couple of years ago, there were doubtless those who saw them as being yet another US band in love with the c86 sound. There were, after all, a lot of them around. Yet it was clear, if you paid more than half an ear to them, that there was more to them than just jangling guitars. and so it continues on their sophomore album.

With the first play, before the album has even finished, I know that this is an album that I am going to want to play again and again. I may have been sent this album to review; but it sounds so good to these ears, I would indeed be prepared to spend my hard-earned wages on it, in order to listen to the psych rock-post punk- garage rock meets the Doors and Joy Division sound therein.

There are, indeed, quite a few bands who should be listening to this and taking notes. Mazes: it is just not sufficient to have cool record collections and regurgitate them, you actually have to go somewhere with it. Pains Of Being Pure At Heart: do not cave into pressure to recapture another era that a few people are whispering will be the next thing to come back into vogue in time for your own sophomore release. Strokes: get outta Manhattan and see what living in Brooklyn will do for you.

There’s so much to recommend here: ‘Alien Rivers’ and ‘Blood Barons’ are dark, psychedelic workouts, while on the other hand, tracks like ‘Silver Sun’ and ‘Half a Moon’ are more of the jangly variety.

Way ahead of much of the competition, a very welcome return.

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In Love With Oblivion is out now on Fortuna Pop!