Crystal Castles II

Last updated
Crystal Castles II
Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles II.png
Studio album by
ReleasedApril 23, 2010 (2010-04-23)
Genre
Length52:54
Label
Producer
Crystal Castles chronology
Crystal Castles
(2008)
Crystal Castles II
(2010)
III
(2012)
Singles from Crystal Castles II
  1. "Celestica"
    Released: April 17, 2010
  2. "Baptism"
    Released: July 26, 2010
  3. "Not in Love"
    Released: October 26, 2010

Crystal Castles II is the second studio album by Canadian electronic music duo Crystal Castles, released on May 24, 2010 by Fiction Records and Last Gang Records. [4] [5] The album was initially scheduled for release on June 7, 2010; however, the release dates were moved forward after the album leaked online, thus a digital version of the album was released on April 23, 2010.

Contents

On April 25, 2011, the album was reissued digitally under the title (II), which replaced the original version of "Not in Love" with the version featuring Robert Smith (of the Cure). [6]

Background

Crystal Castles II was recorded by Ethan Kath in a variety of locations including an abandoned church in Iceland, a self-built cabin in northern Ontario, a garage behind an abandoned drug store in Detroit, as well as Paul Epworth's London studio. [7] Of the experience, Kath said, "I recorded most of the record in the coldest winter in decades in a church without heat in Iceland. It was so cold that when I listen back I can hear myself shivering. I chose it because it felt right". [8] In December 2009, Kath gave vocalist Alice Glass a CD-R containing 70 instrumental tracks, for which she then recorded vocals on 35 tracks.

In order to promote the album, the band released the first single "Celestica" in April followed by an EP titled Doe Deer that was released only a few days later. In May the band physically released the album. The album reached number 48 on the UK Albums Chart and number 188 on the US Billboard 200. [9] [10] Later on in December, the duo's cover of the Platinum Blonde song "Not in Love", featuring guest vocals from Robert Smith of the Cure, was released as the album's third single. The single became Crystal Castles' highest-charting single to date.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic? 7.2/10 [11]
Metacritic 77/100 [12]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [13]
Billboard Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [14]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [15]
Los Angeles Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [16]
NME 7/10 [17]
Pitchfork 8.5/10 [18]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [19]
Spin 8/10 [20]
The Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [21]
Uncut Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [22]

Crystal Castles II received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 77, based on 24 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". [12] Daniel Brockman of The Boston Phoenix praised the band for creating "a dense-yet-airy thicket of pure pop transcendence." MusicOMH also gave an extremely positive review, describing the album as "bold, dramatic, more than a little screwed-up and stunningly exciting statement." Pitchfork rated the album 8.5 out of 10, and awarded it their "Best New Music" accolade.

Commercial performance

As of July 2012, Crystal Castles and Crystal Castles II had sold a combined 174,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. [23]

Accolades

The album was a longlisted nominee for the 2010 Polaris Music Prize. [24]

PublicationListRank
Drowned in Sound Albums of the Year 2010 [25] 18
musicOMH Top 50 Albums of 2010 [26] 33
NME 75 Best Albums of 2010 [27] 31
Pitchfork The Top 50 Albums of 2010 [28] 34
The 100 Best Albums of the Decade So Far (2010–2014) [2] 65
PopMatters The 70 Best Albums of 2010 [29] 51
Rough Trade Albums of the Year (2010) [30] 35
Slant Magazine The 25 Best Albums of 2010 [31] 6
The 100 Best Albums of the 2010s [32] 69
Spin The 40 Best Albums of 2010 [33] 21
Stereogum Top 50 Albums of 2010 [34] 12

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Fainting Spells"Kath2:44
2."Celestica"
  • Kath
  • Glass
3:48
3."Doe Deer"
  • Kath
  • Glass
Kath1:38
4."Baptism"
  • Kath
  • Glass
  • Luke Leeder
4:13
5."Year of Silence"Kath4:54
6."Empathy"
  • Kath
  • Glass
  • Kath
  • Alex Bonenfant
4:11
7."Suffocation"
  • Kath
  • Glass
  • Kath
  • Lee
4:02
8."Violent Dreams"Kath4:35
9."Vietnam"
  • Kath
  • Nordenstam
  • Kath
  • Lee
5:08
10."Birds"
  • Kath
  • Glass
Kath2:31
11."Pap Smear"
  • Kath
  • Glass
Kath3:43
12."Not in Love" Mark Holmes
  • Kath
  • Lee
3:33
13."Intimate"
  • Kath
  • Glass
Kath4:45
14."I Am Made of Chalk"Kath
  • Kath
  • Epworth [b]
3:09
Big Day Out edition bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
15."Not in Love" (featuring Robert Smith from The Cure)3:48
16."Celestica" (Bear in Heaven Remix)3:29
17."Celestica" (Thurston Moore Remix)3:51
18."Baptism" (No Age Remix)4:18
19."Baptism" (Punks Jump Up Remix)5:03
20."Suffocation" (Memory Tapes Remix)5:09
21."Mother Knows Best"2:01
22."Insectica"1:49
23."Seed"1:44

Notes

Sample credits [35]

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Crystal Castles II. [35]

Crystal Castles

Additional personnel

Charts

Chart (2010)Peak
position
Australian Albums Chart [36] 25
Irish Albums Chart [37] 56
Scottish Albums Chart [38] 54
UK Albums Chart [9] 48
UK Dance Albums Chart [39] 8
US Billboard 200 [10] 188
US Dance/Electronic Albums [40] 6

Related Research Articles

<i>Chicago V</i> 1972 studio album by Chicago

Chicago V is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Chicago. It was released on July 10, 1972, by Columbia Records. It is notable for being the group's first single album release, after having released three consecutive double albums and a four-disc box set of live material.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Humps</span> 2005 single by Black Eyed Peas

"My Humps" is a hip hop and dance song recorded by American group The Black Eyed Peas for their fourth studio album Monkey Business (2005). It is written and produced by group member will.i.am and structured as a duet between will.i.am and Fergie. The song sparked controversy because of its title and lyrics, which center on Fergie using her breasts and buttocks to accomplish her goals. It was released as the third single from Monkey Business on September 20, 2005 by A&M Records and Interscope Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crystal Castles</span> Canadian electronic music group

Crystal Castles was a Canadian electronic music group formed in 2006 in Toronto, Ontario, formed by songwriter-producer Ethan Kath and singer-songwriter Alice Glass, who later left and was replaced by Edith Frances. Crystal Castles were known for their chaotic live shows and lo-fi melancholic homemade productions. They released many limited vinyl singles between 2006 and 2007 before releasing four studio albums between 2008 and 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Health (band)</span> American noise rock band

Health is an American noise rock/industrial band from Los Angeles, California. The band currently consists of drummer BJ Miller, vocalist and guitarist Jake Duzsik, and bassist and producer John Famiglietti. It formerly also included Jupiter Keyes, who left in 2015. Originating from the Los Angeles underground experimental music community, they gained prominence with a remix of "Crimewave" by Crystal Castles before releasing a self-titled album in 2007.

<i>Made in the Dark</i> 2008 studio album by Hot Chip

Made in the Dark is the third studio album by the English indietronica band Hot Chip, released on 4 February 2008 through EMI Records internationally and Astralwerks and DFA Records in the United States. Comprising 13 tracks, a defining feature of the album is the strong presence of romantic ballads. The title ballad was described as "sublime" by one critic, although not all the ballads received universal praise. Alexis Taylor, the main contributor to the lyrics, said he was proud of the album lyrically and felt that feeling of love and happiness, partly the result of his recent marriage, had contributed to the album's romantic tone.

<i>Crystal Castles</i> (album) 2008 studio album / compilation album by Crystal Castles

Crystal Castles is the debut studio album by Canadian electronic music duo Crystal Castles; at the time of its release, the group consisted of producer Ethan Kath and singer Alice Glass. The two met each other in 2004 and both had an interest in noise acts like AIDS Wolf & The Sick Lipstick. This inspired the two to start a noise music project, but instead of guitars, they would use electronic sounds made with a circuit-bent Atari 5200–which effectively led to the media pigeonholing the act as chiptune, despite the fact that the members themselves didn't deliberately intend this.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alice Glass</span> Canadian singer and songwriter

Margaret Osborn, known professionally as Alice Glass, is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She is the co-founder and former frontwoman of the electronic band Crystal Castles. In 2014, she embarked on a solo career. She released her eponymous debut EP in 2017. Her solo debut album, Prey//IV, was released in February 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crimewave (song)</span> 2007 single by Crystal Castles vs. Health

"Crimewave" is a song performed by Canadian experimental band Crystal Castles and American noise rock band Health from Crystal Castles' self-titled debut album. The song acts as both Crystal Castles and Health's debut singles in addition to being the first single from the album Crystal Castles. It was first released on August 13, 2007 by Trouble Records, accompanied by the B-side "XxzxcuZx Me". The song is a re-working of the Health original track of the same name written by the band members of Health for their eponymous debut album. It was re-written by Ethan Kath of Crystal Castles. Kath also produced the re-worked track. The song contains prominent electro and chiptune musical characteristics.

<i>Doe Deer</i> 2010 EP by Crystal Castles

Doe Deer is a song from Toronto-based band, Crystal Castles, released on their second self-titled album, Crystal Castles. The release was limited to 500 copies on 12" vinyl. The EP was a special release for UK's record store day. Prior to the release, Doe Deer was played on UK's Radio 1, and rips began to circulate around the internet. The 12" gained special attention because three unreleased tracks from 2004 were featured as B-sides to the lead track. The song was featured in the episode "Nick" of Season 5 of Skins.

<i>Body Talk</i> (Robyn album) 2010 studio album by Robyn

Body Talk is the seventh studio album by Swedish singer Robyn, released on 22 November 2010 by Konichiwa Records. Robyn first announced in early 2010 that she would release three mini-albums throughout the course of 2010. However, it was later announced that a full-length album would be released instead of a third mini-album. The first two mini-albums of what was dubbed the Body Talk series, Body Talk Pt. 1 and Body Talk Pt. 2, were released in June and September 2010. While being a separate studio album in its own right, the full-length release also serves as a compilation album, containing the "best songs" from the first two entries in the Body Talk series in addition to five new songs. In certain territories, the new songs were also available separately as an extended play released the same day, titled Body Talk Pt. 3. The four songs and two acoustic versions from the project that were excluded from the original track listing were later included on the German iTunes and 2019 Record Store Day vinyl versions of the album.

<i>Zonoscope</i> 2011 studio album by Cut Copy

Zonoscope is the third studio album by Australian electronic music band Cut Copy, released on 4 February 2011 by Modular Recordings. Recorded in Melbourne in 2010, the album received generally positive reviews from music critics. Zonoscope reached number three on the ARIA Albums Chart, becoming the band's second highest-peaking album after In Ghost Colours, which topped the chart in 2008.

<i>Wounded Rhymes</i> 2011 studio album by Lykke Li

Wounded Rhymes is the second studio album by Swedish singer and songwriter Lykke Li. It was released on 25 February 2011 by LL Recordings and Atlantic Records. Written in Los Angeles and recorded in Stockholm, the album was produced by Björn Yttling of Peter Bjorn and John, who also handled production for Li's debut album, Youth Novels (2008).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unknown Mortal Orchestra</span> Oregon-based New Zealand psychedelic rock band

Unknown Mortal Orchestra are a New Zealand psychedelic rock band formed in Auckland, primarily composed of singer, guitarist, and songwriter Ruban Nielson, and bassist Jacob Portrait. The band is based in Portland, Oregon. Nielson started the band in 2009, initially as a solo project. The band's first album was released in 2011 on Fat Possum Records; four subsequent studio albums have been released on Jagjaguwar, the most recent being V (2023).

<i>III</i> (Crystal Castles album) 2012 studio album by Crystal Castles

III (stylized as (III) and also titled Crystal Castles) is the third studio album by Canadian electronic music duo Crystal Castles, released on November 7, 2012 by Fiction Records and Polydor Records. Production was handled by Ethan Kath, with additional production by Jacknife Lee.

<i>Heartthrob</i> (album) 2013 studio album by Tegan and Sara

Heartthrob is the seventh studio album by Canadian indie pop duo Tegan and Sara, released on January 29, 2013, on Neil Young's label Vapor Records through Warner Bros. Records. Heartthrob debuted at number 3 on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 49,000 copies in its first week and securing the band's highest chart position to date. It is also the first Tegan and Sara record to chart in New Zealand, the UK and Ireland. On July 4, 2013, Heartthrob was certified Gold in Canada. As of April 2016, Heartthrob has sold 199,000 copies in the United States.

<i>True Romance</i> (Charli XCX album) 2013 studio album by Charli XCX

True Romance is the debut studio album by English singer Charli XCX. It was released on 12 April 2013 by Asylum and Atlantic Records. Originally scheduled for release in April 2012, the album's release was delayed for a full year and had been in the making since early 2010 when Charli met with producer Ariel Rechtshaid in Los Angeles. To promote the album's release, Charli embarked on a three-date UK promotional tour in April 2013.

<i>Immunity</i> (Jon Hopkins album) 2013 studio album by Jon Hopkins

Immunity is the fourth studio album by English electronic musician and producer Jon Hopkins. It was released on 3 June 2013 by Domino Records to critical acclaim and was nominated for the 2013 Mercury Prize for best album.

<i>St. Vincent</i> (album) 2014 studio album by St. Vincent

St. Vincent is the fourth studio album by American musician St. Vincent. It was released on February 24, 2014, in the United Kingdom and a day later in the United States, through Loma Vista Recordings and Republic Records. Produced by John Congleton, it features collaborations with Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings drummer Homer Steinweiss and Midlake drummer McKenzie Smith. The tracks were arranged and demoed by Annie Clark in Austin, Texas and recorded at the Elmwood studio in Dallas.

<i>Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit</i> 2015 studio album by Courtney Barnett

Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit is the debut studio album by Australian indie rock musician Courtney Barnett, released on 20 March 2015. The album received wide acclaim and was ranked as one of the best albums of 2015 by numerous publications.

<i>Amnesty (I)</i> 2016 studio album by Crystal Castles

Amnesty (I), also titled Amnesty I and sometimes referred to as Amnesty, is the fourth and final studio album by electronica duo Crystal Castles, released on August 19, 2016, on Fiction Records and Casablanca Records. It is their first album since the departure of previous frontwoman Alice Glass in 2014, and the first to feature new vocalist Edith Frances. It is also their first album not titled after their band name. Amnesty is also the band's shortest album to date, even with the extra runtime on the physical version.

References

  1. Zaleski, Annie (November 6, 2012). "Crystal Castles: (III)". The A.V. Club . Retrieved February 15, 2016.
  2. 1 2 "The 100 Best Albums of the Decade So Far (2010–2014)". Pitchfork . August 19, 2014. Archived from the original on February 29, 2016. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
  3. Young, Alex (May 3, 2010). "Crystal Castles – Crystal Castles (II)". Consequence of Sound . Archived from the original on April 4, 2012. Retrieved December 26, 2010.
  4. Dombal, Ryan (2010-04-13). "Crystal Castles Announce Second LP | News". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2011-08-30.
  5. "New album "II" tracklist". Crystalcastles.com. Archived from the original on 2012-05-25. Retrieved 2011-08-30.
  6. "( II ) by Crystal Castles". iTunes Store. January 2011. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  7. "2nd album update". Crystalcastles.com. Archived from the original on 2012-06-30. Retrieved 2011-08-30.
  8. "I recorded most of the record in the coldest winter in decades in a church without heat in Iceland. It was so cold that when I listen back I can hear myself shivering. I chose it because it felt right".
  9. 1 2 "Crystal Castles" (select "Albums" tab). Official Charts Company . Retrieved February 15, 2016.
  10. 1 2 "Crystal Castles – Chart history: Billboard 200". Billboard . Retrieved February 15, 2016.
  11. "Crystal Castles by Crystal Castles reviews". AnyDecentMusic? . Retrieved May 4, 2019.
  12. 1 2 "Reviews for Crystal Castles [2010] by Crystal Castles". Metacritic . Retrieved January 10, 2013.
  13. Phares, Heather. "Crystal Castles (II) – Crystal Castles". AllMusic . Retrieved January 10, 2013.
  14. Lipshutz, Jason (June 16, 2010). "Crystal Castles, "Crystal Castles"". Billboard . Retrieved May 4, 2019.
  15. Hann, Michael (May 20, 2010). "Crystal Castles: Crystal Castles". The Guardian . Retrieved February 15, 2016.
  16. Brown, August (June 1, 2010). "Album review: Crystal Castles' 'Self-Titled (II)'". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved May 4, 2019.
  17. Mackay, Emily (May 3, 2010). "Album Review: Crystal Castles – 'Crystal Castles' (Fiction)". NME . Archived from the original on May 7, 2010. Retrieved January 10, 2013.
  18. Cohen, Ian (April 29, 2010). "Crystal Castles: Crystal Castles". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 29, 2010.
  19. "Crystal Castles: Crystal Castles". Q (288): 129. July 2010.
  20. Reeves, Mosi (June 8, 2010). "Crystal Castles, 'Crystal Castles' (Fiction)". Spin . Retrieved February 15, 2016.
  21. "Crystal Castles: Crystal Castles" . The Times . May 22, 2010. Retrieved May 4, 2019.
  22. "Crystal Castles: Crystal Castles". Uncut (158): 104. July 2010.
  23. Lipshutz, Jason (July 25, 2012). "Crystal Castles Return With New Track, 'Plague': Listen". Billboard. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
  24. "Blue Rodeo, BSS on Polaris long list" Archived 2010-09-01 at the Wayback Machine . The Globe and Mail , June 17, 2010.
  25. Adams, Sean (December 2, 2010). "Drowned in Sound's albums of the year 2010: 50–11". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on November 29, 2011. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
  26. "musicOMH's Top 50 Albums Of 2010: The Complete List". musicOMH. 2 August 2010. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
  27. "75 best albums of 2010". NME. November 22, 2010. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
  28. "The Top 50 Albums of 2010". Pitchfork. December 16, 2010. Archived from the original on February 28, 2016. Retrieved December 18, 2010.
  29. "The 70 Best Albums of 2010". PopMatters. December 23, 2010. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
  30. "Albums of the Year". Rough Trade. 2010. Archived from the original on November 18, 2010. Retrieved December 18, 2010.
  31. "The 25 Best Albums of 2010". Slant Magazine. December 14, 2010. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
  32. "The 100 Best Albums of the 2010s". Slant Magazine . 2019-12-20. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
  33. "The 40 Best Albums of 2010". Spin. December 6, 2010. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
  34. "Stereogum's Top 50 Albums Of 2010". Stereogum. December 8, 2010. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
  35. 1 2 Crystal Castles II (liner notes). Crystal Castles. Fiction Records. 2010. 2740407.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  36. "Crystal Castles – (II)". australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
  37. "Top 75 Artist Album, Week Ending 27 May 2010". Chart-Track. Irish Recorded Music Association. Archived from the original on 29 March 2012. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
  38. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. May 30 – June 5, 2010. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
  39. "Official Dance Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. May 30 – June 5, 2010. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
  40. "Crystal Castles – Chart history: Dance/Electronic Albums". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2016.