Released April 11, 2011 / Slumberland US, Fortuna POP! UK
Sycamore Tree
Through The Floor
Silver Sun
Alien Rivers
Half A Moon
Flying Into The Sun
Shake The Shackles
Precarious Stair
Invisible City
Blood Barons
Prometheus At Large
In Love with Oblivion is the second album by Brooklyn’s Crystal Stilts, and it’s one of the best albums of the year so far. The sound of the record is warm, atmospheric and energetic. The opening ‘Sycamore Tree’ has 60s garage rock aesthetics, much like the previously reviewed Brooklyn band Vivian Girls, and it shows that the production on this album has improved since their 2008 debut, Alight At Night. Elsewhere on the album the world of psychedelia is visited on ‘Invisible City’, while ‘Flying Into The Sun’ is worthy of Nico. The extremely catchy ‘Shake The Shackles’ (released last year on a 7 inch) and ‘Precarious Stair’ are intense, volatile and extremely danceable. The longest and most daring track on the album is ‘Alien Rivers’, which suffers from a terrible title and is far too long, however it is a blissed out dreamscape with Brad Hargett’s ominous voice, tambourines and chirping crickets. The final song, 'Prometheus At Large' is a lovely little rockabilly jam with traces of The Velvet Underground and is the perfect way to end such a thrilling album.
With this album, Crystal Stilts are successful in finding a wonderful meeting point between droney noise and melodic pop landscapes. With its buzzing surf-rock, thriving keyboards, jangly tambourines and murky rockabilly, In Love With Oblivion solidifies their identity as one of the best noisepop bands around.
Full of consistent tunes, Crystal Stilts have given us a dark and twisted pop record. Blueboy and Popgirly are indeed in love with In Love With Oblivion.
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