Alight of Night
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2011}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Alight of Night
| type = Album
| artist = Crystal Stilts
| cover = Crystal stilts.jpg
| alt =
| released = October 28, 2008 (US), February 19, 2009 (UK)
| recorded =
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = *Noise pop
| length = 37:05
| label = Slumberland Records (US), Angular Records (UK)
| producer =
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| next_title = In Love with Oblivion
| next_year = 2011
}}
{{Album ratings
| MC = (76/100) [https://www.metacritic.com/music/alight-of-night/crystal-stilts Critic Reviews for Alight of Night]. Metacritic. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
|rev1 = Allmusic
|rev1score = {{rating|4|5}}[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r1441985|pure_url=yes}} Allmusic review]
|rev2 = Drowned In Sound
|rev3 = Venus Zine
|rev4 = Last Broadcast
|rev4score = {{rating|5|5}}[http://www.slumberlandrecords.com/press/list?page=2&release_id=97 Venus Zine review]
|rev5 = Mojo (magazine)
|rev5score = {{rating|4|5}}[https://www.metacritic.com/music/alight-of-night/crystal-stilts/critic-reviews MOJO review (Metacritic)]
|rev6 = LAUNCHcast
|rev7 = NME
|rev7score = (8/10){{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/crystal-stilts/10167 |title=NME review |publisher=Nme.com |date=February 28, 2009 |access-date=December 6, 2011}}
|rev8 = Pitchfork Media
|rev8score = (8.1/10)[https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/12381-alight-of-night/ Pitchfork Media review]
|rev9 = Urb (magazine)
|rev9score = {{rating|4|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/alight-of-night/crystal-stilts/critic-reviews |title=Urb review (Metacritic)|website=Metacritic}}
|rev10 = Spin
|rev10score = {{rating|3|5}}{{cite web|last=Everdell |first=Abigail |url=http://www.spin.com/reviews/crystal-stilts-alight-night-slumberland |title=Spin review |date=November 6, 2008 |publisher=Spin.com |access-date=December 6, 2011}}
|rev11 = Prefix
|rev11score = (8.5/10)[https://archive.today/20140104234229/http://www.prefixmag.com/reviews/crystal-stilts/alight-of-night/22496/t Prefix review]
|rev12 = Strange Glue
|rev13 = The Wire
|rev13score = {{rating|4|5}}[https://www.metacritic.com/music/alight-of-night/crystal-stilts/critic-reviews The Wire review (Metacritic)]
|rev14 = Gigwise
|rev14score = (8/10)[http://www.gigwise.com/reviews/48872/crystal-stilts---alight-of-night-slumberland-released-160209 Gigwise review]
}}
Alight of Night is the debut album by noise pop band Crystal Stilts, released in 2008.{{cite web|author=zhenyuga |url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/crystalstilts/alightofnight |title=Alight Of Night Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic |publisher=Metacritic.com |access-date=December 6, 2011}} "Departure" and "Shattered Shine" were released as singles. "The Dazzled" and "Prismatic Room" were also in frequent rotation on Sirius XMU around the album's release.
Reception
Heralded by critics, the album was included in Pitchfork's top 50 albums of 2008 and the NME's top 50 albums of 2009.{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/7573-the-50-best-albums-of-2008/ |title=The 50 Best Albums of 2008 |publisher=Pitchfork.com |date= December 19, 2008}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/list/50-best-albums-of-2009/159978/page/2 |title=50 Best albums of 2009|publisher=NME.com}} It was also named album of the year by Stephen Pastel's (of The Pastels) Monorail Music in Glasgow and ranked the #2 Album of the Year by Other Music in New York City.{{cite web|url=http://www.teenagefanclub.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=38339&p=554218&sid=47ff78db2cd35e36475e8ca63ca4da0b|title=Crystal Stilts @ Mono, Monday 23rd Feb|access-date=February 8, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150209011514/http://www.teenagefanclub.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=38339&p=554218&sid=47ff78db2cd35e36475e8ca63ca4da0b|archive-date=February 9, 2015|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://othermusic.com/2008december11update.html |title=Special Announcement |publisher=Othermusic.com |date= December 11, 2008}}
Critical Quotations
Dot Music: "Alight Of Night is a garage-weaned, art rock, squat-dirty masterpiece."{{Cite web | url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/alight-of-night/crystal-stilts/critic-reviews | title=Alight of Night by Crystal Stilts | website=Metacritic }}
Drowned in Sound: "Quite simply, Alight Of Night is one of the most breathtaking records these ears have been partial to in a long while, and even if Crystal Stilts never make another record, their legacy is assured."{{Cite web |url=http://drownedinsound.com/releases/13800/reviews/4136121 |title=Review / Crystal Stilts - Alight of Night / Releases / Releases // Drowned in Sound |access-date=February 28, 2009 |archive-date=February 27, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090227051028/http://drownedinsound.com/releases/13800/reviews/4136121 |url-status=dead }}
Prefix Magazine: "Easily the most exhilarating rock 'n' roll record to emerge in 2008."{{cite web | url=http://www.prefixmag.com/reviews/crystal-stilts/alight-of-night/22496/ | title=Blog | date=May 3, 2022 }}
The Wire: "Crystal Stilts have created one of the most perfectly formed reconciliations of classic rock swagger and zoned dreampop... This is one of the best garage pop sides since The Chills' own "Brave Words."{{Cite web | url=http://www.slumberlandrecords.com/press/list?release_id=97 | title=Slumberland records: Oops }}
Strangeglue: "Crystal Stilts have created a record that has truly astounded this writer. A debut with this much promise should not be kept in the dark, it should be shown to the world as an example of how to do it right."{{Cite web |url=http://strangeglue.com/reviews/crystal-stilts-alight-of-night |title=Crystal Stilts: Alight of Night - Strangeglue - Music News, Views and Reviews |access-date=February 28, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090306115202/http://strangeglue.com/reviews/crystal-stilts-alight-of-night |archive-date=March 6, 2009 |url-status=dead}}
Mojo (magazine): "Alight Of Night is devoid of current context, making for a weird timelessness. A treat."
Gigwise: "With Alight of Night we see glimpses of a new intelligence that divides them from the 80's contemporary... it'd be hyperbolic to try and claim Crystal Stilts are revolutionaries of their genre but they're playing new tricks and they're all the better for it."
Track listing
- "The Dazzled" – 3:56
- "Crystal Stilts" – 2:57
- "Graveyard Orbit" – 3:26
- "Prismatic Room" – 3:36
- "The Sinking" – 2:35
- "Departure" – 4:28
- "Shattered Shine" – 2:51
- "Verdant Gaze" – 2:08
- "Bright Night" – 2:22
- "Spiral Transit" – 3:45
- "The City In The Sea" – 4:59
Personnel
- Brad Hargett – vocals
- JB Townsend – guitar
- Kyle Forester – keyboards
- Andy Adler – bass