Posted: by The Editor
Photo by Megan Magdalena Bourne
Most of Crack Cloud’s descriptors pertain to their structure rather than their style of music, which is loosely described as “art punk.” The phrase “art punk,” whatever that means, alludes to a loftier degree of sophistication and intention. It’s more than a feeling than a genre. They’re often described as a multimedia collective, not a band. They once boasted 20-something members, but after years of invention and reinvention, they’ve trimmed themselves down to a lean seven, led by frontman Zack Choy. No SEO-friendly term could ever represent the band’s collective’s origins; they all met through various addiction programs, both as patients and support workers.
After years in Vancouver, they’ve since returned to their hometown of Calgary. Red Mile marks their rebirth while exploring the notion of “home” as a condition, not a place. What does home mean after a decade of personal and collective transformation? In search of answers, the band fled to the Mojave Desert, where nature’s extremities forced them to look inward.
The ensemble gingerly interrogates aging, addiction, stability, identity, and everything else on this “crack of life,” a phrase that appears throughout. The end result is something as triumphant and multifaceted as the group itself. Lyrics reference early 2000s Canadian alt-rock and teen restlessness. The title nods to a stretch of highway known for the outpouring of fan support when the Calgary Flames competed (and ultimately lost) in the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals. After nearly a decade of self-reformation, they finally find peace on Red Mile.
Minimalist opener “Crack of Life” encourages everyone to join them on a final hedonistic jaunt before the world bursts into flames. Choy’s abrasive delivery oozes with biting self-awareness and ironic whimsy. He occasionally passes the mic to bandmate Isabelle Anderson, and the manifesto transforms into a sing-along. While Choy takes point on each track, guest singers playfully break up the monotony to create a warm, lived-in sensation. After all, the record is designed to be an “extension of the abstract hope you feel when you sober up after experiencing ego death on the weird guy’s couch.”
The second single, “The Medium,” serves as the album’s de facto thesis. Choy and co. bemoan punk rock’s nihilistic origins turned mainstream commodification. “Catchy platitudes for the restless mind / Peppy plastic melodies we hear all the time,” he snarls. Rough around the edges but tender in the center, he still believes music can save us. And in Crack Cloud’s case, music literally saved them.
Most groups under the punk umbrella embrace pared-down instrumentals, but much like the skydiver on the album’s cover, Crack Cloud soars past boundaries with joyous maximalism. Standout track and lead single “Blue Kite” boasts a magnificent string section. Named for a Chinese movie that depicts a young boy’s coming of age during the Cultural Revolution, it deviates from pared-down punk sensibilities while remaining crisp and taut. Dazzling orchestral arrangements on “Ballad of Billy” and “Lost on the Red Mile” prove that sometimes more is more.
“Epitaph” is similarly spry and bouncy. The band wrestles with the inability to articulate, especially compared to prolific and elaborate “dead sea scrolls.” “Writing with some vague intent like pulling hair out of cement,” Anderson croons, her voice floating high above Choy’s piercing diction. Artists have always commented on current events and systems of oppression, but what happens when the artist is at a loss for words? And why do artists have to provide answers to existential crises? Crack Cloud is going to smoke about it and get back to you later.
Red Mile whittles these urgent musings down to eight songs. They embrace spontaneity without concession, less of a roadmap and more of an astute reflection. Their mature and lean sound has evolved from Pain Olympics and Tough Baby; each labyrinthine track rewards repeat listens with new meanings and timeless lessons.
Disappointing / Average / Good / Great / Phenomenal
Red Mile is out now.
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Gillian Karon | @lethalrejection
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