The Crystal Teardrop formed in Stoke-on-Trent in 2023, brought together by a shared love of 60s garage, folk rock and psychedelia. Just over a year after their debut, The Crystal Teardrop Is Forming (2025), the five-piece led by singer and guitarist Alexandra Rose are back with Love You More. You can hear the chemistry they’ve built on the road, especially after touring with Love featuring Johnny Echols and supporting the legendary The Pandoras.
Psychedelic folk rock, garage, jangle pop and the Paisley Underground all go into the mix, with so much energy that their love of the past never tips over into mere nostalgia. They recorded it almost entirely live in the studio, using vintage instruments and recording techniques, and it sounds fresh and full of life. The guitars are crystal clear and very Byrds, the riffs are sharp and twisted, the organ is pure 1966 and the rhythm section pushes everything along with real force.
The bright melodies and vocal harmonies bring the early Bangles to mind, while “It’s Too Late” and “The Eleventh Hour” show off their rawer garage side, very much in the spirit of The Pandoras. “Circumstances” heads somewhere else, its hypnotic guitars and Eastern touches leaning towards the psychedelic folk of Jefferson Airplane and the neo-psych of Allah-Las. And on “Room Without A View”, the organ takes charge, with one foot in rhythm and blues and the other in soul.
Behind all that colour and energy, the lyrics explore how complicated relationships can be, with love and heartbreak rarely far apart. “Love You More” offers comfort after a loss, while “Tomorrow Starts Today” dares to shut the door and start over. On “Outside Looking In”, there’s still hope of fixing things, but in “It’s Too Late” and “What It Adds Up To”, there’s no patience left for lies or empty promises. And then there’s “The Thoughts You’re Thinking”, which is pure infatuation, the kind that turns your whole world upside down.
But it’s not all about love. “The Eleventh Hour” has a political edge, standing its ground, drawing lines and calling for change. “Room Without A View” goes on a trip through doors, incense and upside-down realities. To close, “Touch The Sun” starts as a reflection on how short our time is and how connected we are to the universe, before turning into seven minutes of acid psych, with sprawling guitars and hypnotic rhythms that take you straight to Jefferson Airplane at their most experimental.
Love You More is a vibrant, melodic and colourful record. It moves from the delicacy of psychedelic folk to the punch of garage without ever losing its pop hooks. It proves that the sounds of sixty years ago can still hit home when played with this much heart and personality.
Listen to Love You More in full here.
Tour dates
- Sat 17 October – Water Rats, London
- Sun 25 October – Fulford Arms, York
- Fri 6 November – Elmers Arms, Bristol – Free Entry
- Sat 7 November – The Tin, Coventry
- Thu 12 November – The Washington, Sheffield – Free Entry
- Fri 13 November – Firebug, Leicester
- Sat 14 November – The Artisan Tap, Stoke
- Sun 15 November – Billy Bootleggers, Nottingham – Afternoon show – Free Entry
- Sat 21st November – Night Owl, Birmingham
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