Over two years on from the release of their groundbreaking debut, Star of Love, Crystal Fighters have finally returned with their magnificent second album, Cave Rave. The whole album encompasses every aspect of Crystal Fighters that you undoubtedly fell in love with the first time around; their unique ability to intertwine dance and electronica with acoustic sounds including their musical influences from the Basque country which continue to set them apart from any other band around. Cave Rave is a meticulous and cleverly crafted work of art. It isn’t one of those albums where you end up skipping track 3 and 7 because they’re just not as good. Instead, this album is one of those rarities where you want to abuse the repeat button on each track. No one song sounds similar to the next but they are united by the overwhelming sense of euphoria that they exude. You might be thinking that that’s a bit over the top, but once you’ve listened to the album you’ll have an undeniable urge to cover yourself in glitter and dance like a member of an indigenous tribe into the sunset hugging everyone that you pass… trust me. For their second album, Crystal Fighters have taken their signature sound and made it into something bigger and better. ‘Wave’ and ‘Separator’ have already been released online and have received great feedback for their immense dance vibes. ‘LA Calling’ has also recently appeared online and you don’t even have to be “bathed in sunlight” to appreciate the fact that the track just oozes summer. Zane Lowe labelled the first official single from the album, ‘You and I’ as one of his hottest records in the world and it certainly won’t be long until the whole album is the hottest record in the world. It’s not all about epic dance tracks though, things are stripped back in ‘Everywhere’ and ‘These Night’s’ showcasing the dreamlike harmonies. Along with ‘Love Natural’ which has a chorus that you’ll be singing for days, ‘Bridge of Bones’ is a stand out track with its beautiful and soulful melody and wonderful lyrics that will get stuck in your head – not that that’s anything to complain about! This highly anticipated album certainly doesn’t disappoint. Cave Rave, which is filled with unique indie love songs, will without question be the soundtrack to your summer. Crystal Fighters will be spreading their euphoric vibes far and wide as they embark on the world tour stopping off to headline the festival republic stage at Reading and Leeds festival this summer. Their world tour comes to end on Saturday November 30 at The Institute for a very special gig right here in Birmingham, brought to you by Counteract Magazine – a night not to be missed. Grab your tickets here. Cave Rave is released May 27 via Zirkulo/PIAS. Published in Counteract Magazine here
