“The White Wall” is the fourth single to be released from Sydney indie rock three-piece Crystal Cities forthcoming third LP, I Should Have Known That This Was War.

The single is the group’s most hard-hitting and assertive track in a while. While the band’s iconic reverb-drenched dreamscapes are still present, the more energetic and aggressive performances from each member on this track don’t go unnoticed.

“The White Wall” captures the listener’s attention immediately with its stark intro; a thunderous drum groove with only vocals to accompany it. Geoff Rana’s lyrics are biting: “My God, I can’t believe it, that you have fallen for this now. The lights are barely flicking, but you can’t wait to put them out.”

The guitar and bass tightly interweave with one another in the verses to create a kind of claustrophobic tension, before the song finally opens up into an ocean of guitar ambience with Rana asking the listener, “Did I tell you about the time? Yeah, behind the white wall.”

“‘The white wall’ is a term I read about, regarding the illusion of reality, where behind the white wall lies the truth about our existence. I related this concept to my experience during the Covid lockdowns and the psychological warfare I found myself in during this time; unable to reach for any kind of solid truth within the fog of mass hysteria…”
⁣- Geoff Rana (vocals/guitar/keys)

Lead vocalist and guitarist/keyboardist Geoff Rana has been spending days on end in his self-made studio where he’s been writing, producing and engineering the band’s latest material.

While the band’s previous effort - their sophomore album Hold Me Close Hold Me Tight - was an exercise in hard-hitting alternative rock that could rattle a live audience, the band’s third LP, I Should Have Known That This Was War, feels more explorative and colourful (at least from the three singles released from the band thus far:“Love Don’t Live Here Anymore”“I Should Have Known That This Was War”, and “The Strangest Dream”).

This new album also marks the departure of previous drummer Daniel Conte and the arrival of new drummer Neel Shukla. Neel, Geoff and Jared have a long-standing relationship that spans all the way back to when they all studied Contemporary Music Performance together at The Australian Institute of Music in Sydney.

Long-time Crystal Cities collaborator Paul Lani (David Bowie, Prince) was once again tapped to handle mixing and mastering duties for the recording.

Since the band’s formation in 2016 they have released a highly praised EP - Who’s Gonna Save Us Now (2017) - and two critically acclaimed albums - Under The Cold Light of the Moon (2019) and Hold Me Close Hold Me Tight (2021). There is no scheduled release date for the band’s forthcoming third album.