Space-rock icons Spiritualized have touched down somewhere out west, or at least the new single certainly suggests J Spaceman is busting out his cowboy boots for this one. Instead of sky rocketing towards the heavens with massive, spiraling choruses that channel incendiary gospel surges, "Crazy" feels much more subdued than usual and while it may lack volume, it makes up for it with homespun, tender moments. There's a western filter that covers the song from subtle backing vocals via Nikki Lane to pedal steel guitar notes that coat the song like dirt on a ranch. This is a lighter side of J Spaceman, one that doesn't swell and explode with release, but rather one that ruminates over twangy guitar riffs that might best soundtrack a bonfire under a starlit sky. There are still some moments that bubble-up to burst with joy, but it's much smaller in scale than what we've heard from the group in the past. None of this is to say the song is lacking, it's actually a much more intimate cut from the band and it still has that same magic spark just like the best of 'em, but the grandiose nature feels much more confined. As beautiful as it sounds, J is clearly struggling with a personal relationship and feels crazy for his actions. What makes the song even more impressive, in this case, is how refined it still sounds. It's an ode to something and a promise, it seems, to make things right. He may have been wrong, but he's committed to trying to make it right. No matter how crazy he feels.
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