Crystal Castles Amnesty (I) review

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For Edith Frances, the thought of trying on Crystal Castles' glass slipper must have been a daunting one. Whether it would fit or not was something that all must have wondered, especially given the love and affection that was bequeathed upon a certain Alice.

Citing professional and persons reasons for her departure, the fans loyal to the mercurial singer showed a mixture of support and anguish when producer Ethan Kath unveiled a new singer for 'Frail', the first musical offering post Glass.

It wasn't just the legacy of former personnel that had to be matched though either, Crystal Castles eponymous debut record received huge praise when it came out in 2008 and featured in NME's 100 albums of the decade. (Listen to 'Fleece' from the record below)

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In the run up to the newly incarnated duo's first release, and the moniker's fourth, a lot has been done to properly swear in the new singer with a supportive Facebook post from Kath (see above) preceding positive live reviews from the critics.

Thankfully, this has not resulted in a safe album, quite the opposite in fact. On the whole each track is like a short, sharp burst of anguish or reflection. The longest track on the record is just over four minutes while the majority are sub three which means this 12 track romp is over in barely more than half an hour.

Opening track 'Fermen' is decidedly moody with ethereal, mermaid like vocals that lure you into the danger that lurks on 'Fleece'. While an electronic gargle offsets Frances' voice nicely, jarring synths and pounding beats dominate before the mood is dropped down for the exquisite 'Char' (listen below).

This is certainly a theme throughout, there is a mixture of delicate synth numbers interspersed with more hectic moments that definitely have more than a tinge of trance about them. 

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'Frail', for example, builds on yet more angelic vocals before an 'eyes roll back and jaws fall open' moment takes over, although the qualities in Frances' voice means that it pierces through and keeps you alert.

Naturally, the focus will be on the singer and her performance in this record, partly because it's her debut but also because you feel it's a given that Kath will bring top notch production to proceedings. 

As well as rush inducing tracks he can easily turn his hand to something that sounds much more like hip hop, and 'Ornament' is testament to that. In many ways, the beauty is in the simplicity but if you were to deconstruct the tracks on Amnesty (l) you'd find hours worth of painstaking detail.

What's most exciting about this record is the huge potential it has to be transferred to a live environment and has moments that will sound huge on stage.

A listen to 'Concrete' instantly conjures up visions of sweat-soaked walls and a sea of bodies flailing uncontrollably when the track crosses its midpoint and rising synths give way to utter euphoria.

For a group that always had an element of mystery to them, their new line up only adds to the myth and this will doubtless draw people to the record out of sheer curiosity.

Any doubts of Frances' ability to live up to her predecessor are dispelled instantly and this record deserves plaudits for its ingenuity and fearlessness. It's a look to the future rather than a nod to to the past and while the glass may be shattered, the vision is still crystal clear.

Crystal Castles play exclusive UK shows at Leeds Festival and Reading Festival later this month. Tickets for Leeds festival are available from the box below.

Tickets are no longer available for this event