Just a year or two ago, it seemed that the experimental electronic band Crystal Castles may have been coming to an abrupt end. Formed back in 2003, many fans were dismayed to hear that lead singer, Alice Glass, would be departing the band, leaving the songwriter and producer, Ethan Kath, to steer the ship. Suddenly, in 2015, Crystal Castles returned to form with the track “Frail”, which featured vocals from the new member, Edith Frances.
Joining a band known across the electronic circuit for their lo-fi sounds and hyper-energized live shows, Frances certainly had some big shoes to fill, and seems to have fit into them quite snuggly. Thus far, the revamped duo has played a handful of shows in preparation for their new album, which has yet to be named by the band. Still, that hasn’t stopped them from unveiling new tracks like “Frail”, “Decide”, and now their latest track, “Concrete”.
The track begins with whirling arpeggiation and a traditional bass-heavy house beat, which is then glazed over by the distant-sounding vocals from Frances. It almost seems as if the new singer is shouting her lyrics from a deep metallic cavern coated in reverberation, a distorted, lo-fi sound reminiscent of when Alice Glass was on the mic. The music video follows Edith Frances as she pushes through a jam-packed crowd while facing the camera, shouting out her droned out lyrics. As she whips her hair around and shoves through the crowd in her Type O Negative band t-shirt, colorful lights brighten up the dark vibe she portrays in the music video.
Alongside the new music video, Crystal Castles also announced a world tour that will span across North America, Europe, and Asia, playing nearly 50 shows before the year is up. The tour will kick off on September 6 in North Carolina, and will eventually wrap up out in Europe this December. Chances are, they’ll be stopping at a city near you, so get ready to push yourself through an enthusiastic crowd when the dynamic electronic duo makes its way to you.
Watch the video below.
