When Alice Glass left Crystal Castles there seemed to be a unofficial promise that whatever Glass did next would be 100% her, rather than her put through a Crystal Castles filter. If that's the case then "Without Love" is a bamboozling release. Of all the ways to describe an Alice Glass solo single I never thought generic would ever enter my mind. Yet it is generic, with only Glass' not as distinctive as they used to be vocals, bedded in by beats that recall Grimes, Purity Ring, and yes, especially Crystal Castles.
This isn't a disaster though. I mean, it's not a great song, but this could have marketing written all over it. Glass is ostensibly a new artist, separated from the band that made her famous, and infamous, means that she has to create a space all her own in the landscape of electronica. To do that you need fans, and "Without Love" will certainly engage listeners that aren't as familiar with Glass' more ferocious delivers. That power, that drive, will be apparent, no doubt in future singles. Still, "Without Love" is a disappointment, and wit the relative shrug that greeted Crystal Castles first album sans Glass, it’s hard not to wonder if the magic came from that collaboration.
