Shortly after the release of Crystal Castles (II), theyВ re-cast its cover of Platinum Blonde's 'Not in Love' with Robert Smith on lead vocals, resulting in their most successful single to date, but it had the unintended effect of making the emotional illegibility of their own version more apparent. Insularity is nothing new for Crystal Castles, as both of their self-titled records existed in a sort of personal airlock. Even the all-texture tracks ('Telepath', 'Insulin') are more driven by rhythm than abrasion they contribute to the overall flow rather than hijacking it. Crystal Castles songs could once be split into two camps, the 'pretty' ones and the 'aggressive' ones (III) is the duo's most focused record, and the fact that it avoids assaults like 'Doe Deer' or 'Alice Practice' demonstrates an alluring confidence.

While not as immediately striking as either Crystal Castles (I or II), the streamlined sound allows more maneuverability and subtle variety in the actual songwriting. 'Pale Flesh' exhumes witch house for just long enough to beat it at its own game, 'Sad Eyes' is pure rave throwback, and the call-and-response hooks that materialize as scrambled vocal transmissions ('Kerosene') and longing synth countermelodies ('Affection') come off like power-pop played by catatonic automatons. As promised, it is unyieldingly 'bleak.' Even the catchy songs are filtered through a forbidding darkness.

The music now conveys a sense of unease somewhere between waiting for the drugs to kick in and wanting to leave the club as soon as possible. It retains Ethan Kath's trademark staggered synths and Glass' acute wail still pierces through thick reverb. Though the duo claims to have overhauled their recording process for (III), trading in all of their gear and disallowing the use of computers in the studio, the album couldn't be mistaken for the work of anyone else.

Not in love В· crystal castles lyrics