After a period of hiatus, The Crooks are returning to release an album for their twenty-fifth anniversary, and they do so with a vinyl concept album, entitled Mediacracy.

 Composed over the course of two and a half years but recorded in the studio to tape in a fairly short period of time, as was the good habit in the glorious '70s, the album represents an evolution in the band's style, which has given greater vent to its passion for American power pop (that of bands like the Replacements and Rubinoos, for example) and, as always, for punk R'n'R, seeking a decidedly modern sound.

 The fourteen songs on Mediacracy revolve around the concept of the media and social media's impact on people's lifestyles and culture in recent years, depicting a stark contrast with life before the advent of the digital age: sensationalism, the pursuit of mere numbers at the expense of critical thinking in the information world, the media's overexposure of certain topics and the resulting division of users into "factions," but also deeper aspects that influence personal behavior: functional illiteracy, the spread of outlandish and conspiracy theories, and alienation from reality.

 On the album, these themes are part of a narrative, seen through the eyes and reflections of the protagonist, Tony, over the course of a very special day when he decided to abandon everything and everyone (his lazy life, his job, his friends, his girlfriend, the city where he lives) to go live on the road as a Woody Guthrie-style wandering musician, trying to rediscover the positive feelings he felt on tour with his band. Thus, the various songs fit together like a puzzle, giving shape to Tony's events and thoughts, the encounters of that day: with his higher-ranking co-worker who tries to convince him of his conspiracy theories, with the members of his band who have become more focused on social media than on playing music, with Mary, his girlfriend, who convinced him to change everything but can't leave with him.

 Various guests, some of international fame, who have participated in The Crooks' live forays over the years and enthusiastically collaborated on the album, also contributed musically to this narrative: Kevin Preston (lead singer of Prima Donna and second guitarist of Green Day) sings "Rise it Up," one of the most distinctive and power-glam songs; Raldo Useless (guitarist of Norway's Gluecifer) unleashes one of his fiery solos on "Right Next," while on "Bad Boys," Ricky Rat (guitarist of Detroit's Trash Brats and bassist of the Dead Boys) adds a punk touch to the rhythms. Other Italian guests include Lester Greenowski, who wrote the lyrics and sings "It's Easy" with his raspy voice; Zebra of the Boogie Spiders, who sings the album's intro; and Nando of Senzabenza, who enriches the backing vocals on several tracks.