Pain Olympics

Raw, and real, and often emotional, Pain Olympics is a turbulent journey through the world of this community, proving in itself to be a successful outlet for those creating it, while also offering solace and alliance for those that need it.

Throughout, Crack Cloud delight. Pain Olympics is an incendiary snapshot of a real musical force.

Members of Crack Cloud might eschew all claims of being a cult, but Pain Olympics will speak to many out there looking for meaning and something of substance to believe in.

Crack Cloud have produced an existential, genre-defying examination of the human condition. Pain Olympics is a savoury cocktail of tenacious motifs and shrewd vocals where vaudeville grins at post-punk and psych-rock flirts with hip-hop.

From the Krautrock-leaning ripper “Tunnel Vision” to their dystopian Devo impersonation “Ouster Stew”, Crack Cloud explore the cracks and crevices of punk and new wave to the deepest and most feral depths.

This art-punk collective’s utopian first LP illuminates the joy, camaraderie, and compassion that can exist in even the most unforgiving, isolating circumstances.

A sonic journey that mirrors the real-life one that the collective remain on, ‘Pain Olympics’ is a disturbing, joyous, cataclysmic listen that travels from claustrophobia and fear into wide-eyed expressions of joy.

While the troubles are integral, ‘Pain Olympics’ also manages to find moments of lightness and creative joy throughout.

With an anything goes manifesto, ‘Pain Olympics’ could easily go off the rails and become a train wreck, but Crack Cloud manage to get the balance between artistic freedom and well measured chaos just right.

This debut's best moments ... are when they push against what a post-punk band should be.