CRACK CLOUD - Tough Baby LP

Long-time store favourite Vancouver art-punk collective Crack Cloud second album. Word of the band’s Pain Olympics follow-up arrives accompanied by an elaborate video for its lead single, “Please Yourself,” featuring a cameo by Mac DeMarco.

“Please Yourself” is nothing short of an epic, replete with touches both funky and baroque, including brassy horns, arpeggiated guitars and layered choral vocals, with Choy’s inimitable presence at the center. These elements swirl and collide like shards of debris caught in a twister, shifting or stopping abruptly every time they seem to have locked into a groove. The track swerves into a guitar solo adorned with chants of “I want it now,” then an extended piano and spoken-word interlude that turns Crack Cloud’s story into a fable of creativity and healing.