Crystal Castles - Not In Love

Originally a single by 80's new wave Canadian band Platinum Blonde, Not In Love was taken from their 1983 album Standing In The Dark. The original is a stereotypical new wave/glam rock track with the distinctive 80s snare drum sound, a twinkly guitar line, smoke filled stages and incredible hair do's.
I often admire people who cover tracks that are far from prominence, Bon Iver's cover of Your Love by The Outfield (UK chart #86) was inspired as lyrically and sonically the track slots into his relatively limited repertoire.
There is a definite skill to covering a popular track as it takes skill to wrestle someone's affections away from the original and transform it into a new track with new life. Though re-imaginings such as Not In Love do not have the difficulties of changing preconceptions, they must breathe life into a track that was a flash in the pan first time round.

Crystal Castles inclusion of Not In Love transformed the original into a much more driven and club-friendly piece (as is to be expected by Crystal Castles input). Robert Smith's vocals on the single version bring his usual desperate and contemplative voice to a song that is drenched in sadness and the chorus is lifted by dense bass and, mirroring the guitar from the original, twinkly distorted chorus synths.

Hear the album version here, featuring Ethan Kath on vocals

This is going to sound huge at our Soulwaxmas christmas party too.





Oh and since I know you're dying to know, Friday was fun. Like unbelievable, life changing, still feeling both tired and the buzz Monday morning kind of fun. The kind of gig that you will never forget, despite drinking too much and dancing way too hard.

The kind of perfection you were always going to get from that line up