On paper, the Vancouver-via-Calgary ensemble Crack Cloud feel like a pandemic-era hallucination. The septet (and change) wafted into the picture in 2020 with a unique take on the Canadian tradition of art-rock projects with more band members than there is space on most stages, swapping the twee-accented indie-pop of Broken Social Scene and New Pornographers for something straddling the line of first-wave punk and its immediate aftermath. Following 2022’s sophomore release Tough Baby, they’re already back with their third LP Red Mile, which is set to arrive in July, and the project’s second single does plenty to sharpen both their punk and post-punk influences.
“The Medium” swerves from the lane of new wave the group explored on previous single “Blue Kite” and instead pairs Johnny Rotten–esque vocal snarls with an irreverently composed and polished bed of sound welcoming of cello, bells, and other baroque flourishes. As the bandmates take turns on lead vocals, the project feels like contemporary rock’s equivalent to Brockhampton, begging the question as to why Wu-Tang’s nebulous lineup never quite inspired guitar-based music.
The track also arrives with a video which subtly implicates Marshall McLuhan as the inspiration for the title “The Message.” Check that out below.
