Crystal Cities: Under the Cold Light of the Moon Album Review

By Bridget Dunbar
Music Journalist

Artist: Crystal Cities
Album: Under the Cold Light of the Moon
Release Date: May 31, 2019
Record Label: Audio Network Limited

With the start of the summer season, artists have begun releasing new albums; Tyler, the Creator with Igor, Madonna produced Madame X, and even the Jonas Brothers: Happiness Begins. On May 31, Crystal Cities dropped Under the Cold Light of the Moon.  Crystal Cities is an indie, alternative band that produced their first album two years ago in 2017.   

The album opens with “If I Don’t Make the Morning,” an upbeat opening to the whole album. The song is high-energy while still having more mellow lyrics, and an easy-to-follow melody with simple beat makes for easy listening. This song puts the listener in the perfect mood for the rest of the album.

The album’s title track, following the first track, keeps up with the energy of the opening track but adds more layers; strings and cymbals make the chorus feel exciting, contrasting from dreamy vocals and lyrics. This dichotomy characterizes much of the album. The fourth song, “I Hear a Cold Wind Calling” opens differently from those preceding, it starts much more slowly and quietly and picks up the pace after the first chorus. The bridge opens with an exciting guitar solo which is followed with a vocal solo, building up excitement for the end of the song, and fading into the next song “Carve our Names into the Sun.”

This song feels much more calm, with less of an electronic sound than the previous songs. The second to last song, “The Wolves They Will Come” is an acoustic, intimate-feeling song. It feels different from everything preceding. The album is a summer day and this song is the sunset. Finally, the last song on the album “You Were the Last to Know” follows with an intimate vibe but is more energetic than “The Wolves They Will Come.”

Overall, this album is a perfect summer album and is a large step up from their first EP, Who’s Gonna Save Us Now. I would strongly recommend this album for anyone looking for some summer-feeling music to listen and relax to.