Crystal Castles are an experimental electro group originating from Canada. Their second, imaginatively titled album Crystal Castles II (pictured) was released earlier this year and now they've re-produced Not in Love to include vocals from The Cure frontman Robert Smith. The processed vocals of the original are perhaps a little too quirky for popular tastes; here the distinctive vocals of Smith add a sense of 80s romance and nostalgia.
Indeed, this track mixes the best of both worlds and the collision of 80s new wave with modern electronic noise works extremely well. The sorrowful lyrics depicting the breakdown of a relationship ("And we were lovers, now we can't be friends") clash with hyped-up, frenzied electronica. It's a more accesible track than the last single, Baptism. But if you like this, the rest of the album is definitely worth checking out, pushing electronica into new, progressive territories.
4/5
