I’m almost upset that a record could be this well written. They tow this line between poetic, heart wrenching lyrics and building intensity within beautiful music. I especially love the lines in the song “In and of Itself”: “I’ve got boxes full of records, tapes, and pins / the remnants of a lifetime trying hard not to fit in / And I practiced my unflinching stare so I can tell the world I didn’t care / But somehow the way I saw the world is the way the world saw me.” It’s evidence of growing up in pain; in clinging to DIY punk as a shield from the mainstream. But then it takes an introspective turn of self-realization admitting to letting that guarded outlook on life shape you into something you never wanted to be. I realize I’m over here getting deep in the weeds of lyrical content, so I should mention that the drumming in this record is remarkably fantastic. It pairs well with bright, fuzzy guitar tones, and melodic, gritty vocal delivery. There are two other lines I want to mention before I finish up here. In “Siren Songs” it’s this: “I want to ignite with the romance of just being alive,” (adapted from “Future Selves” by The State Lottery). And in “A New York Minute” it’s this one: “And I know I should feel lucky to be miserable.” I’ll leave you with an anecdote: last weekend I saw Bad Religion and was feeling annoyed being in a huge venue where all intimacy between me and the music is lost. But next to me was a small child with a charged mohawk who was going hard, even though they were too small to see the stage. I want to always care about music that much. Quaker Wedding helps. –Kayla Greet (Salinas)