Crystal Stilts Fall 'In Love With Oblivion,' Tire of Joy Division Comparisons

Crystal Stilts are not a British band. Their debut album, 'Alight of Night,' was praised for its haze of lo-fi pop songs and the record drew numerous comparisons to British New Wave, specifically Joy Division and the somber delivery of Ian Curtis. But lead singer Brad Hargett says the analogies are a bit off-the-mark.

"The Ian Curtis thing is just something that snowballed," Hargett tells Spinner. "Our voices sound somewhat similar, neither of us had much of a range, and we both sing in a monotone. But I don't think the music itself sounds anything like Joy Division."

The band gets even more inquiries about their Brit-influenced sound overseas, where the fans and press alike are enamored with the band's affinity for mod rock.

"We definitely get questions about being Anglophiles," Hargett says. "There is an assumption from them that we're terribly into British music, which in some ways we are, but there's a lot of American music that we take from as well."

Crystal Stilts' new album, 'In Love With Oblivion,' is due out in April and promises to be a more upbeat affair then their first record. The band released a two-song 7-inch last year that gives a preview of what's to come.

"The first record was a little more drone-y. There's sort of an ambience that went through the record," Hargett says. "This record will be a little more diverse in terms of the songs. Between the swampy blues on [B-side] 'Magnetic Moon' and the more jangly 'Shake the Shackles,' that's a pretty good snapshot."

'Oblivion' is the band's first album without drummer Frankie Rose, who's also a onetime member of Vivian Girls and Dum Dum Girls. Rose has struck out on her own with Frankie Rose and the Outs, a move fully supported by the band.

"Frankie always wanted to write songs," Hargett says. "I could tell she wasn't really happy being a drummer. I encouraged her, we all encouraged her, to go ahead and do her own thing. We're happy for her."

Listen to Crystal Stilts 'Shake the Shackles'


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