The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis

In Glide Magazine, Jim Hynes wrote that this music "the intersection of free improvisation and the spirit of punk-infused rock n’ roll" and continued that "the album succeeds even more so by the shifting sonics that give way to melodies and infectious hooks".^[2] In Spin, Reed Jackson scored this release an A−, characterizing the collaboration as "volatile chemistry" that results in the rhythm section sounding more like their prior band Fugazi.^[3] Editors at Stereogum chose this as Album of the Week, where reviewer Chris DeVille wrote that the music "often operates within a jazz tradition" but also displays the musicians' other influences and this allowed him as a non-jazz critic to appreciate the songs; he ended his piece speculating that it "might just guide you somewhere new and exciting too".^[4] A feature in The Washington Post by Chris Kelly states that "Lewis’s saxophone adds a bold voice to what the trio has done previously" and notes that "the album was written and laid out to leave room for [guitarist Anthony] Pirog and Lewis to toy with melodies, trade solos and play together".^[5]

1. "L'Orso" – 4:40
2. "Emergence" – 2:59
3. "That Thang" – 3:11
4. "Three Sisters" – 5:16
5. "Boatly" – 7:27
6. "The Time Is the Place" – 5:59
7. "Railroad Tracks Home" – 7:15
8. "Asthenia" – 2:33
9. "Fourth Wall" – 6:56

• James Brandon Lewis – saxophone, production

The Messthetics

• Brendan Canty – drums, production
• Joe Lally – bass, production
• Anthony Pirog – guitar, production

Additional personnel

• David Avidan – inner sleeve photography
• Don Godwin – mastering, production
• David LaMason – back cover photography
• Charlie Pilzer – mastering
• David Willingham – cover photography

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