Crystal Whip – Nineteen
Crystal Whip, led by Addams Emil Sinclaire, are an upcoming band from Los Angeles, California. Harkening from bands such as Health and Crystal Castles, Crystal Whip explore the domains of electro-industrial and post-electronic noise rock with varying levels of success. While their noise is admirably refined, their songwriting leaves much to be desired.
Tracks such as Low and (s)ink mask their basic riffs with solid layers of noise. Oubliette (feat. Syne++) strikes the right balance of pulsating beats and abrasive synthetics, yet there are few standouts as such. Asleep’s triumphant crescendo swirls and amalgamates, yet disapprovingly fades out as it leads into the disappointing and repeated ideas of Deleterious. Aside from the substandard songwriting, most of the drums are soft and rarely pulsate in line with the ferocious noise. Suffice to say, there is wasted opportunity throughout.
Unfortunately, Nineteen retreads many ideas by previous artists, rarely taking a risk. Not only are the song structures overly conventional, they rarely expand upon their ideas, as evident by each song barely scraping the 3-minute mark. The aesthetic is undeniably alluring, yet the album over relies on it, leaving a well-polished but unsubstantial wall of sound.
Average
Listen to it here:
Crystal Whip – Nineteen
