The Crystal Teardrop is a modern-day psychedelic outfit from Midlands, UK that features guitarist Leon Jones, organ player Stuart Grey, bassist Ed Quigley, drummer Huw Woodward, and most prominently, the lead singer and mastermind of their sound Alexandra Rose. Their latest album, available everywhere October 6, 2026 on Rise Above Records, is called LOVE YOU MORE, and is much worth checking out.
Their style of music is a modern rendition of a classic authenticity to popular radio music that has been lost over time: that being the 1960s rock/pop period. The Beatles, Kinks, Stones, Who, and Hendrix were the most popular music of their era, and recorded the religious texts for all popular music to come. What counts as popular music in 2026 is leagues beyond what it once was, and not for the better.
The Crystal Teardrop, similar to the Brian Jonestown Massacre, Spacemen 3 and Spiritualized, are saviors in the sense that they are bringing this style of music back to the forefront, recording with analog equipment, often seeking Rickenbackers, Vox amps, Hammond organs, and other 60s artifacts. Many modern rock bands prefer the style of maximalism, like heavy metal and extreme hard rock, and that style is also superb, but it is refreshing to have a varied landscape of rock styles to choose from, and acts like the Crystal Teardrop are vital in keeping authentic psychedelic rock in the cultural zeitgeist.
LOVE YOU MORE launches with its title track, a bittersweet jangle-pop tune about love and loss, completed with Alexandra’s earnest vocals and her perfect alignment with the backing band. This song is bittersweet, hinting at a light at the end of the future, a future without incessant heartbreak and disappointment.
The next song Tomorrow Comes Today evokes imagery of the Chambers Brothers’ Time Has Come Today, the Byrds’ Turn Turn Turn as well as the Beatles’ Tomorrow Never Knows. Rose’s voice accompanies hopeful lyrics proclaiming a positive change in one’s life direction. The narrator is unsatisfied with their current predicament in life, and is determined to change their circumstances as soon as possible. Times Are Gone continues this theme, adding a flute near the end to contribute to the melancholy.
The track Circumstances reintroduces the band’s excitement for Indian flavor. Its intro is soaked and marinated in beautiful sitar plucking and hypnotic rhythms, followed by an electric guitar and drums morphing with the stew. Every ingredient in the band’s repertoire never feels out of place; they all work in accordance with each other in a musical harmony. Some bands have musicians that lack chemistry and their instruments feel disjointed. This is not the case with Crystal Teardrop, in fact it is the opposite. Lyrically, Circumstances is about a dreamlike meeting and its unexpected consequences. The hazy meeting could have been for a job, a date, an audition to be an undercover agent, but whatever the context it did not go as planned and the narrator and instruments are projecting the suffering of this for the listeners.
The closing statement of the piece is Touch the Sun, a tragically haunting psychedelic colorful seven-minute epic, continuing the tradition of artists saving the longest track for last. (The Doors popularized the trend when they made The End the final song on their debut album.) Touch the Sun takes us on a journey when Alexandra’s vocals come in, coaxing us down a river of multi-colored molasses as the guitar riffs behind her provide the proper ambience to let our minds adrift and wander to places unknown. Alexandra called this song a tune “where you can really stretch out.” It does have that quality, being wonderfully hypnotic for relaxation. Alexandra also said this song “questions the meaning of human existence,” which makes it brutally effective as a closer.
One thing that makes the Crystal Teardrop stand out from their contemporaries is their techniques to replicate the psychedelic music of their childhood is to record directly to tape with analog production. This allows the music to sound more authentic, instead of sounding over-produced and appealing to the masses, like Tame Impala’s latest two albums. The vocals sound like you’re in the room hearing them, instead of being distorted through twelve different machines and digital effects. Even if there are cracks in a singer’s voice and it doesn’t sound technically perfect; I much prefer that in a song than the modern method of abusing autotune.
Currently, Crystal Teardrop only has two full-length albums and an EP, but I predict they will continue to grow in popularity if they keep making music. Their talent is undeniable, and if they keep their current rate growing and improve with each release, they can reach legendary status in the modern-psych genre.
Social Media Links:
https://thecrystalteardrop.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/thecrystalteardrop
https://www.instagram.com/thecrystalteardrop
