First album from Crack Cloud, a sensational post-punk 2.0 band from Vancouver, Canada, after several EPs released since the 2010s. The collective led by Zach Choy (an icon of the Céline brand and a favorite of Hedi Slimane, the brand's artistic director) presents us with the overwhelming Pain Olympics that is likely to sweep everything in its path. Like Psychic TV before them, the band has a particularly pronounced philosophy and embodies a new wave of punk driven by a group of young people. As evidenced by the impressive last track of "Ouster Stew," the band has built an identity and a post-apocalyptic punk imagery where cities would be in ashes and the capitalist system would be reduced to nothingness. There is no cult of personality, no hierarchy of power in Crack Cloud's vision. While singer and drummer Zach Choy is in many ways the face of the band, the collective is founded on equality (as shown by the number of participants in the "Ouster Stew" video), and in its lyrical, poetic, and controversial mix, Choy is the spokesperson for something much greater than his simple self. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the album's first single, "The Next Fix." What begins as a claustrophobic account of sprawling drug addiction, euphoric anthem that dances with the band's old demons. Listening to this song or watching its video is a spiritual experience, offering a glimpse into Crack Cloud's mentality: using community to transform adversity into hope. This is not just bravado; it's a story born from a deep and personal experience. Crack Cloud also protests against the passivity of...