"The DIY collective cast any semblance of genre to the wind: On Tough Baby, the collective are essentially unravelling themselves - their own fears and anxieties and delusions - feelings that are conventionally negative but turned into something positive by virtue of it manifesting as a work of art, and not an act of deprecation. The traditional post-punk dynamics of agitated, jagged guitars and abstract wordplay are exchanged for local female-voice choirs and effusive cinematic arrangements. In spite of this bold evolution, signs of the old Crack Cloud bubble beneath the surface, spilling through the cracks: 'Crackin Up' retains a semblance of earlier releases, with its sharp angles and jittery exterior. The inclusion of brass, alongside myriad esoteric details (tape loops, sound collages, kazoos and synthesizers) adds emotional resonance to the intensity of Zach Choy's vocals, which sound practically chewed and spat out".