For all the retro imitators out there, of late indie-rock has been pushed into some interesting new territories by loose scenes such as the dance punk-inflected acts coming out of Brooklyn, see YHWH Nailgun and Model/Actriz, and London’s Windmill, which now has its own haphazardly-defined post-punk strain.
However, along with such developments come a host of B and C-list acts, such as Vancouver’s Crack Cloud. Their music is as chaotic as the mess of wires that adorn the artwork of ‘Peace And Purpose’ — this is ragged, raw experimental rock that, across their fourth album’s 14 tracks, struggles to coalesce in compelling fashion.
Other than a few choice cuts, it’s a hard album to approach. The compositions are wilfully slapdash and bricolage; composed of intentionally rough and inelegant ingredients such as the ragged vocals of Life On The Farm and the drum machine experiments of Red House.
Every track is packed full of ideas, they’re just not always interesting ideas. Some of the longer tracks later in the album are more gripping, such as Reunion, which takes its time, but the final stretch is very pretty.
It’s hard to fault the ambition behind a big, weird record like this one, but ‘Peace And Purpose’ never really finds its footing. There are moments that work, and listeners attuned to its janky chaos may get more out of it. Broadly, though, this is just a collection of eccentric concepts that never really catch fire.
Crack Cloud Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Mon May 04 2026 - BRISTOL Bristol Strange Brew
Tue May 05 2026 - MANCHESTER White Hotel
Thu May 07 2026 - DUBLIN Grand Social
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