Crystal Tides – Headcase

With distinctive high-energy, Portsmouth four-piece Crystal Tides release another slice of catchy pop uplift. Previous single ‘Courtney Love’ was a craftily honed combination of big instrumentation, impassioned vocal and plenty of dynamics changes over the three minutes. Before that, ‘Monday’ was a lyrical inversion of the escape from work motif to add an extra layer to the immersive layers of sound.

Now ‘Headcase’ reaches a zenith of show-stopping, likeable pop. The words describe difficult aspects of a relationship, but musically it is a positive tidal wave of a track. All the elements are there, starting with the sparse plea of the introduction. The staccato guitars and sharp percussion move along with a unstoppable momentum then build-up to a hook that is so big it is visible from space. A guitar solo, surprising and sudden middle-eight and inevitable return to the chorus line at the end all add to the overwhelming effect of this indie stomper.

Mike Wright