Crystal Cities – Terrified of Your Love waxes about the different kinds of love and what’s at stake if one or more is lost at some point

Crystal Cities is a band with a sound. One they’ve carefully molded from different genres of great eras in music. They’ve carved their own niche, they stick to it relentlessly and it can be heard across all of their previous releases.  Bands that are capable of working within their artistic confines, yet producing and writing great tunes are always a pleasure to listen to; to see how they treat different songs when performing and recording them is what following a band is about.

Based in Sydney, Crystal Cities released single, Terrified of Your Love on February, 12, 2021. Introspective in nature, the song waxes about the different kinds of love and what’s at stake if one or more is lost at some point. The single is energetic though. Not downtrodden in way or shape. It leaves the listener with a more of a frantic sense of being terrified, than the somber. Elements of early modern rock runs throughout Crystal Cities’ catalogue and Terrified of Your Love does not disappoint lovers of this genre.

The band manages to marry the earliest form of modern rock from the late 70’s early 80’s to the second advent of modern rock, early 2000s. It’s kind of magical to hear the original genre and its rebirth mixed for a new lease on the movement. The bass tones (and performance) on this track are notable. The hustling nature of the part, the tone of actual fingers on an instrument, make this recording a stopping point for fans of the 4 string.  Early Edge-style guitar on the track is also carefully placed and expertly crafted. Placement of sporadic, rhythmic guitar parts during the verses and full-blown playing during choruses, leaves the listener with that “one guitar player” busy bee, work ethic/sound.  The single pushes its way through a well-thought-out chord structure where some pre-chorus darker chords lend themselves to the moodiness of the track. 

I would also like to comment on where the vocal is placed in this mix.  It’s choice.  No Vegas, Tom Jones mix here. The lead vocal and its different components are “just below the waterline”, right where they are supposed to be, a moving part of a more complex conglomerate; a member of the band.  Kudos.

Crystal Cities was a new discovery for this reviewer, a definite follow for future releases, a solid rock band, a solid single release, simple as this band makes it sound, right?

Find Terrified Of Your Love on our NEW ROCK 2021 playlist!