With a Little Help From My Friends
After more than 15 years on the electronic music scene, The Crystal Method needs friends'' input to inform them. That is what the duo''s latest long-player, Divided by Night, is relying on—as many collaborations as it can feasibly force onto 12 songs. These guests, namedropper-y as they are (New Order''s Peter Hook, She Wants Revenge''s Justin Warfield, Metric''s Emily Haines, LMFAO, Jason Lytle, Meiko and Hasidic rapper, Matisyahu) overshadow The Crystal Method. This might be the saving grace for Divided by Night because there is not much else to distinguish it from the twerping synths, big-bottomed beats and buzzing bass lines that are the duo''s signature sound. Hook injects gloomy Joy Division/New Order-esque moodiness onto “Dirty Thirty.” Matisyahu brings a downright filthiness—that somehow has a forbidden feel to it—to his contribution on “Drown in the Now.” LMFAO complement this with its brand of swinging smut on “Sine Language.” Meanwhile, Meiko closes out Divided by Night with quiet, introspective tones. Frankly, it is a relief to have some outside sounds interfering with Divided by Night because when it is just The Crystal Method, such as on “Smile?” and “Double Down Under,” it is very much been there, heard that, already bought that album—more than once. [2.5 out of 5 stars]