Crystal Castles are a standoff kind of band. Run-ins with security and fans, as well as plagiarism accusations made for an uneasy build-up to an already tough task of following up a debut album that defined a fleeting subgenre. The band approached the challenge with the same ethos of their live show-- diving in at the deep end, lead single "Doe Deer" provoking the haters with its bombed-out fury. It turned out to be a sleight of hand for one of the most surprising successes of the year. On this year's Crystal Castles, the band hammered the spectral shapes of the first album into something with focus and menace. It also had a heart, "Celestica" and "Empathy" proving to be two unexpectedly warm moments. It goes some way toward gathering up the shitstorm and blowing it into the distance. --Hari Ashurst
Crystal Castles/Empathy