Record of the Week: CRACKBOX In Love Must Mean Stupid 7″
This record is insanely good! It’s dirty, bleak, gross, and catchy, all rolled up in one gleaming four-song EP. This is another beautiful slice of the newly minted sub-genre of “crust-pop.” I know many of you will grimace at this seemingly awkward melding of worlds, ’cause they seem like oil and water. But in fact, this does rule. Generally, music like this comes out of kids once connected to the pop punk scene. But as you grow older you realize that life is shit, and it’s less about freedom and choice, and more about loss and grief. And that gets reflected in their message, but creating music is still a vehicle towards personal happiness, so the pop sensibilities at times find their way in. OK, so I don’t know the people in CRACKBOX at all. That description could be really fucking far from their reality, but that’s the atmosphere the music gives. And that’s the sense the vocals convey as they weave back and forth from guttural to soaring. At times, the singer sounds like a fucking monster—it rules. This record is highly recommended, especially if you’re into SNUGGLE, GLUE or FILTH. Destroy everything!
