I’m trying really hard to not write a review that goes, “Oh man, I looooooooved that first Gentleman Jesse & His Men album back in 2008, what a power pop tour de force that was, golly gee those were the days, and now this new album is some super-bummed-out concept record about loss that doesn’t sound at all like the record I liked in 2008, maybe he shoulda lost the master tapes for this record while he was out losing things,” because, y’know, that would be lame of me. Very consumerist. No respect for the artistic impulse. (pause) No real alternative to this review is presenting itself at the moment, however. (pause) Well, I can say that the first track, “Become Nothing,” feels a bit like a punkish exorcism à la the Gun Club or somebody, so that works. “Hunger” I can kind of get into; that one sounds the most like classic Gentleman Jesse. (additional pause) The title track is kinda good, too, and, the lyric booklet, with the, uh, TSOL Beneath the Shadows kinda words in it. Those are, uh... those are very nice woodcuts. Woodcuts are underrated. And, um... that’s a really great black and white photo of a freeway overpass on the front cover. Yep. This all reminds me of that episode of Rick and Morty where they go to the spa and have all their toxicity removed. This record, for those scoring at home, would be the toxicity, except it’s, you know, loss and stuff like that, instead of actual toxicity. Well, I’ve made worse personal exorcism records. Sea cucumber! BEST SONG: “Hunger.” BEST SONG TITLE: “1,000,000 Sorrows.” I like numbers. FANTASTIC AMAZING TRIVIA FACT: “An accidental companion piece to Render Void at Gate.” –Rev. Nørb (Beach Impediment)