The Calgary collective find a new momentum on new single ‘The Next Fix’.
It’s hard to say what Crack Cloud are. Are they angry? Probably. Are they post-punk? Sometimes. Are they the future? Yes.
Crack Cloud’s first two EPs released on Tin Angel Records were a heady mix of punk aggression and largely dance-fuelled, this time around they seem to be aiming for something higher. Thus, ‘The Next Fix’.
From the get-go it was evident that Crack Cloud were a multifaceted beast. There are guitars sure, synths, naturally, and a chorus of talk/ shout vocals. But, underlying this was a feeling of redemption and community. Made up of a group of rehabilitation-focused individuals that include both recovering addicts and those working with mental health patients, there has consistently been much more happening than one can gain from just listening to their music alone.
The video itself is a plethora of scenes indicative of Crack Cloud’s nature as a truly democratic collective. A healthy antidote to the excesses of ego, no one member is given precedence as dancers and band members alike abound in gleeful fashion. Lead vocals are there one moment only to be overtaken by a brass section in the next. Incandescent vocalist/ drummer/ founding member Zach Choy spoke of the upcoming album recently, saying that is largely informed by hip-hop, with “less post-punk tropes and more storytelling”.
And yes, the flow goes hard, but right around the corner an anthemic chorus drifts into the realm of feel good pop. And no, I don’t know what they’re saying either. Either way, DIY seems to be at its most omnivorous, no longer beholden to just three chord structures, and Crack Cloud are at the forefront.
In the words of the inimitable Pat Lyons: “See ‘em live! That’s a reality!”
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By Brad Harris
hardofhearingmagazine.com 