The Crystal Stilts have released their debut album “Alight Of Night” in November this year and instantly got a lot of attention. It’s an attention that hasn’t diminished until now and will even grow as all the Best-of-2008 lists are coming up and a fair amount of them will feature the Brooklyn-based Crystal band as well. Rightly so, as their dark, reverb-laden pop is at the same time unsettling and uplifting, blends simple drum beats, washy guitar riffs, precise bass runs, a mellow organ and echoing, hardly understandable vocals, which are often mixed in the background. They have for sure listened heavily to Joy Division, but add some Sixties beat pop appeal and – most notably – some brighter, almost happy moments to their melodic and – despite the dark mood – very enjoyable songs. It’s the kind of music that makes you feel like walking through the industrial parts of whatever town in the night, but not caring at all about your depressing surroundings. Instead you float around in your own world with the Crystal Stilts’ rough, noisy but still very accessible record as a soundtrack. They will be touring Europe in February and March. Check out the dates at their myspace.