They’re playing at Lollapalooza. They’re notorious for their insane live shows. I’ve essentially already paid $1.50 to see them. I figured it was time to do more then listen to single songs on YouTube, and check out an album by much-hyped Crystal Castles.
Unfortunately, the impression that I’ve gotten from listening to Crystal Castles is that the band is better in short single-song bursts than on a 16-track album. Perhaps that’s because their debut LP from 2008 wasn’t even supposed to be an album. It’s really just a collection of stuff from EPs and other miscellaneous releases spanning the duo’s early years, which explains the sense of delusion and confusion that comes with listening to this record as a whole. Sure, a bunch of the songs are great, but the record’s flow is non-existent, and begins to wear as it approaches the one-hour mark.
I’m not saying that I don’t enjoy Crystal Castles’ harsh brand of dance music. After all, they managed to turn a HEALTH song into something listenable, let alone danceable, in their solid remix of Crimewave. I just think that perhaps this album served mainly as a way to get the band’s name out there. If so, it did its job really well.
I noticed that Crystal Castles really thrive when they’re remixing something. The remixes on this record are definitely the standout tracks. Original tracks like 1993 and Love and Caring struggled to hold my attention, perhaps because there’s so much stuff going on throughout this fairly confusing gathering of songs. I’ll be sure to check out their second LP (also called Crystal Castles, of course) and I’ll probably see them at Lolla regardless of what I think about it. They’re kind of legendary.
Swole Ear 
1991 is actually one of my favorite songs! Their live show is definitely worth checking out as everyone there will be really into it (which makes for a great live show).