Lip Critic - Theft World

Lip Critic return with Theft World, a gloriously unhinged second album that sounds like a punk show breaking out in the middle of a rave.

The New York band made a splash with their 2024 debut Hex Dealer, built around two drummers, frontman Bret Kaser's wild-eyed delivery and Connor Kleitz's sample-heavy production. Theft World, released on Partisan Records in 2026 and produced by the band themselves, pushes that formula further, folding hardcore, club rhythms and hyper-pop glitch into songs that rarely sit still for long.

Lead single "Legs In A Snare" sets the tone with frantic percussion and breathless vocals, and "Jackpot," "Debt Forest" and "Shoplifting" keep up the pace with titles that hint at the album's fixation on money, luck and getting by. Hooks pop up where you least expect them, usually just before everything collapses into another burst of noise.

The whole thing feels like controlled chaos, loud and often very funny, and surprisingly catchy once the racket settles into your bones. Few bands make sweat and anxiety sound this much like a good time.

For anyone who likes their punk with a club pulse, or their dance music with a split lip, this is a thrilling and sweaty ride that begs to be played loud.