Speaking to Loud & Quiet magazine back in 2018, the statement by the Canadian multimedia collective Crack Cloud still rings true. A necessary outlet for the art-punk group, Zack Choy & Co. look to intertwine their painful experiences with drug addiction and rehabilitation into their most eclectic (in every sense of the word) work to date: their debut LP, Pain Olympics.
A quizzical toilet flush initiates our descent into Crack Cloud’s world of pervasive pain through ‘Post Truth’ - marked by a myriad of influences both old and new. Upbeat, scratchy guitars of Gang of Four, quickly transcends into the ethereal beauty of Weyes Blood, culminating on the banks of Kamasi Washington-esque cacophonies. With an intriguing inception to this journey, the lead singles from this LP wield greater proportions of influences, notably within ‘The Next Fix’ and ‘Ouster Stew’. The former’s concoction of offbeat guitar ticks, atonal vocals, rapping stylistics, and eventual sing-along euphorics easily mark it as one of the year’s best singles, whilst the latter brews pure Talking Heads/The Contortions-driven anarchism at its core - seething with a violent Lord of the Flies-esque music video.
Situated in between these notable tracks, births the true eclecticism of Crack Cloud’s repertoire by virtue of the hip-hop-tinged ‘Favour Your Fortune’. Vocals burgeoned in the style of Death Grips’ MC Ride, as well as Jpegmafia and Show Me the Body’s effervescence, this pertinent midway track of the LP proves itself an emphatic shock to the system of danceable art-punk. Beyond this, however, the group initiate further jolting spasms through Slint-style 90’s alt-rock in ‘Somethings Gotta Give’ and Brian Eno-channelled ambiance sprinkled amongst ‘Bastard Basket’ - altogether offering a smattering of musical canapés catering to most’s tastes and desires.
“The past it hurts us and the future is littered with doubt.”
Yet the objective of this LP remains crystal clear: designed for everyone - the outcasts, the strugglers, and the redeemers. Nothing better encapsulates the true stoicism of this remarkable LP than the final two hurdles of ‘Tunnel Vision’ and ‘Angel Dust’. Returning to what they do best, the former track conjures the lovable vibrance of art-punk through scratchy guitars, rubbery synths, and vocal chants - stamped with a part-guitar-solo-part-synth interlude overspilling into turmoil.
And for the LP’s final flourish, the group emphatically deliver. Harking to the Funeral-era of Arcade Fire, complete with all the bells and whistles of accompaniment, including male-female duetting vocals, Crack Cloud overcome the perpetual 'pain olympics' which occupy their ‘flushed-out’ world. A concluding realisation that we’ll be “judged by our heart and kidneys” more than anything else adds a stark consolation for those fellow strugglers and sufferers during this unprecedented period.
Ultimately, the end product of Crack Cloud’s debut LP Pain Olympics proves itself as a gleaming resumé for the suffering band of brethren. Collectively filtering their struggles, emotions and personal journeys into this half an hour experience, the LP bears an enticing resemblance of a group flexing their muscular arsenal of influences to varying extremes (if a little dubious and incoherent at points). Crack Cloud has merely continued its journey since 2018 as an outlet for rehabilitation and recovery, as a virtuous place of refuge for those seeking chaos, anarchy, desperation, and redemption.
8/10
Crack Cloud's debut LP, Pain Olympics, is out now and can be found here.
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