Crystal Castles [2010] - Crystal Castles
Crystal Castles [2010] Image
Metascore
77 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 24 Critics What's this?

User Score
8.6 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 61 Ratings

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0 out of 10
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  • Summary: The second self-titled album for the Canadian duo was recorded in a variety of places, including a garage in Detroit, a church in Iceland, a cabin in Canada, and a real music studio in London.

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 24
  3. Negative: 0 out of 24
  1. The Boston Phoenix
    100
    Having put aside the gimmicky Atari-melting antics of yore, the Castles have created a dense-yet-airy thicket of pure pop transcendence.
  2. Urb
    80
    It’s a strong, deliberate album that is both unsettling and riveting, and absolutely convincing in asserting Crystal Castles’ relevance, and talent.
  3. BBC Music
    80
    Still, it’s a largely terrific return that retains all of the weirdness and edge of their debut but allows the tunes to win through at the expense of unnecessary glitch and red-raw distortion.
  4. Dot Music
    60
    A long 14 tracks, it's fairly unfocused and though the pair have done enough to prove that they're not just out to annoy, there is still something fundamentally unsatisfying going on here.

See all 24 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 14
  3. Negative: 1 out of 14
  1. RainbowDash
    10
    smoke weed everyday
  2. Vampire25
    8
    Crystal Castles sophomore effort is far from a slump. They take what made their first album so great, and add a polished, refined sound, but still manage to have that lo-fi, edgy sonic noise that only they can make. Do I prefer this album over their first? No. Is it a good album? Absolutely. All In All, Crystal Castles have yet to make a bad album. B+… Expand
  3. KundK
    7
    I must say that I'm a little bit disappointed with the new album. They are breaking new ground sonically, but the overall result isn't nearly as good as their fantastic debut. The petite bourgeois in me is annoyed and confused by all the scratching and screaming and is missing the happy 8-bit melodies of Jet Set Willy.… Expand
  4. KevinK.
    2
    This album absolutely sucks compared to the first one. So horribly disappointed.

See all 14 User Reviews

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