‘Crispy Crunchy Nothing’ puts to rest any notion Madeline Link had about finding the end. Burnout, dead-end jobs, bike theft, stress dreams, heartbreak — PACKS move forward through them all one line, one lick, one beat at a time, equal parts Alex G’s whimsy and Helvetia’s thunderous dynamics. Sticking together songs written in Toronto, Ottawa and Mexico City (while Madeline completed a papier-mâché residency), Crispy Crunchy Nothing revisits the fuzzy alt-rock of 2021 debut Take the Cake and adds some folksy twang to the mix for an album that explores the tension between independence and isolation, between living life to the fullest and feeling like you’re wasting your time. Influenced by country-tinged contemporaries like Renee Reed and Angel Olsen and Madeline’s lockdown-era listening sessions with her dad, of albums by Hank Locklin and Hank Williams. Crispy Crunchy Nothing is heavy, and Madeline makes little effort to hide the depths of her feelings. But after the rain, flowers peek up from the soil. “Laughing Till I Cry,” a reject from a commercial, recalls fond memories of spending time with her sister: “Sometimes, I feel like life is on my side.” And “Always Be a Kid,” jangling and swaying with the Nashville guitar in the foreground, keeps her chasing those smaller Matryoshka dolls, looking for companionship but settling for herself in the meantime. “So now, I feel alive,” she repeats, over and over again. And by the end, it sounds like she’s starting to believe it.
Release date:
March 31, 2023
Label:
Install our app to receive notifications when new upcoming releases are added.

Recommended equipment and accessories
-
Audioengine A2 Plus
Precision-engineered 2.75-inch woofers and a 0.75-inch silk dome tweeter, featuring built-in DAC and Bluetooth connectivity for seamless integration.
-
Phono Preamps - Top Picks
A selection of the best phono preamps for your turntable setup
-
Vevor Ultrasonic Cleaner
Thoroughly clean and restore your vinyl records, removing dust, dirt, and grime from every groove without damaging the surface
-
Pro-Ject Phono Box DC Pre-Amp
Compact, high-performance phono preamplifier for both MM and MC cartridges, delivering a clean, detailed signal with minimal noise.
-
Ortofon 2M Red Cartridge
Features an elliptical stylus that accurately tracks the grooves of vinyl records, delivering a rich, detailed sound with an output voltage of 5.5 mV
Featured Upcoming Vinyl
-
Wayne Shorter The Soothsayer (Blue Note Classic Edition)
Blue Note
August 15, 2025 -
Koko Taylor Crown Jewels
Alligator Records
July 18, 2025 -
The Lemonheads Love Chant
Fire Records
October 24, 2025 -
Ice Nine Kills The Silver Scream Boy In The Lake (Blue) [2xLP]
Fearless Records
July 11, 2025 -
Florence + The Machine How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful (Blue Marble) [2xLP]
Republic Records
August 29, 2025 -
Yoshika Colwell On the Wing
Blue Flowers
July 25, 2025 -
Grinderman Grinderman 2 RMX Eco [2xLP]
Bmg
July 18, 2025 -
The Favors The Dream
Darkroom / Interscope
September 19, 2025 -
Nation of Language Dance Called Memory (Clearwith Black & Blue Mix)
Sub Pop
September 19, 2025 -
Glenn Hughes Chosen
Frontiers New Recordings Physical Only
September 5, 2025 -
Xzibit Kingmaker [2xLP]
Diggers Factory
July 11, 2025 -
Kenny Burrell Kenny Burrell (Original Jazz Classics Series)
Craft Recordings
August 22, 2025 -
Dean Wareham That's the Price of Loving Me (Desert Haze Tan)
Carpark Records
August 15, 2025 -
Field Medic Surrender Instead (Bone/Red Splatter)
Alternate Side
August 8, 2025