Indulge in the pop-infused beats of the aptly-named “Celestica” for a few divine moments, and then take the time to reflect upon the fact that this is a band who lists “blank looks on girls” as an interest on their Myspace page. Then you'll realize what a tempestuous relationship with a band like Crystal Castles is all about. As a whole, Crystal Castles is an improvement on their previous work, in that each song is distinct and memorable. The problem with this is that each exciting moment is different from the one that came before it, as the band frantically jumps into different territory on every song with a distractingly rushed energy.

When making music together, the much-hyped Alice Glass and Ethan Kath leave messes everywhere they go, both literally and figuratively. Crystal Castles is gaining a reputation for trashing stages and leaving devoted fans and mortal enemies in their wake. Is there a middle ground here? Not really, unless you count the stragglers who simply cannot make up their minds, maniacally rushing between one camp and the other. After replaying “Celestica” a few times, it becomes obvious that Crystal Castles has the talent and potential to become royalty in the realm of electro-pop. The song leaves you feeling happily high, empty-headed and ready for more.

This effect would be great, if not for the fact that the enjoyment is cut short when you're smacked back down to the earth by “Doe Deer.” There are no lyrics aside from a repeated screeching chant of “death ray” over manic synthesizers that force you to recognize that this track is supposed to be harsh and insane as well as very, very serious. Perhaps it's because the bar was set too high for this one, or perhaps it's because the vocals are sampled from one of their unreleased songs that should have stayed in the vault. Maybe there was a better reason or some illicit drug that inspired them to include this on their second self-titled album. Whatever the reason is, “Doe Deer” sounds both awful and contrived. All the audible sounds of suffering are there, but there is no hint of real pain that could make a song like this work.

Though “Celestica,” “Baptism,” and “Vietnam” are quickly becoming fan-favorites, Crystal Castles reaches a crux with the fantastic “Year of Silence,” in which a dreamy Sigur Rós sample is mutated and looped over a deep (and downright scary) bass line. The sample of the song “Inni mér syngur vitleysingur” will leave many fans of the source furious at the fate of their mangled darling, but the deliciously creepy result is worth the sacrifice.

While on the subject of the few gems on this album, it would be beneficial to pay attention to the music of the track “Pap Smear.” The first step in this process is to get over the title, and, second, to stop wondering whether or not Glass and Kath have a sense of humor lurking behind their gloomy facade. If you are lucky enough to get that far, you can revel in the absolute prettiness of a voice that taunts you with lines like, “I know what you hate / so I do it constantly” over a Jazzercise-for-the-21st-century beat. Whatever faults the band may have, they certainly have a knack for playing their audience.

Crystal Castles has some incredible moments on their second album—an aching whine by Alice Glass that merges perfectly with the songs bass line, an unexpected homage to older electronica one moment, a brazen refusal to stay true to the spirit of a sample the next—that leave an unsettling effect no matter what part of the spectrum you fall on as an avid listener.

Track List:
1. Fainting Spells
2. Celestica
3. Doe Deer
4. Baptism
5. Year of Silence
6. Empathy
7. Suffocation
8. Violent Dreams
9. Vietnam
10. Birds
11. Pap Smear
12. Not in Love
13. Intimate
14. I Am Made Of Chalk