Red Mile

Description

The Canadian punk collective Crack Cloud, based in Calgary, has always been something more than a rock band: both profound and grandiose, vaporous and elusive. The sound of Red Mile infuses expansive energy into the streetwise, twisted sounds of Crack Cloud's previous albums. Sparkling synths intertwine with ringing pianos. The songs layer like Russian dolls; you can find a Ramones chorus in a desolate prog Western soundtrack, only to see it burst into a joyful anthem. Real guitars—at times melodic, distorted, and soaring—resonate in vast sun-bleached spaces. Through playful melodies and elliptical guitar soliloquies, they deliver a final product of exceptional depth. Crack Cloud has produced a mature and vital work that questions the platitudes of the rock-n-roll lifestyle, but ultimately exalts its sacred nature.