The weight of personal history and unmet expectations informs , the reflective solo debut from former member . Since the release of in 2003, fans of the commercially maligned but critically lauded indie rock band have waited in vain for a follow-up that never materialized. They came close. signed with in 2013 and even delivered a mastered version of their fourth album to the label, but it was ultimately vetoed by , the band's chief songwriter. served as ' other primary songsmith and unlike , he was eager to get his songs across the finish line. By 2021, he could no longer tolerate the group's inertia and made the tough call to pull his material out, thus ending ' state of languishment. Under the name , reworked his lost songs and complimented them with a decade's worth of additional sketches and demos to form a complete album. Collated as it was, doesn't sound nearly as disjointed as one might expect. Former bandmates and his brother are both present on a number of songs, and the introspective tone that characterized much of 's output carries over into . Wrestling with themes of regret and unrealized potential, is intense and frequently cathartic, though not without a sense of tenderness. You can almost hear 's perspectives change as he journeys through therapeutic epics like "Leaves" and the power pop gem "Everything at Once." His distinctive voice ranges from hushed and poignant to ragged rage in the space of a single verse, playing the dynamics with a veteran's craft. As might be expected from an album whose genesis began in the mid-2000s, it doesn't necessarily fit into the contemporary indie rock landscape. The record's earnest delivery and blaring crescendos befit an artist whose most active period was around the turn of the millennium. Still, even without its baggage or backstory, is a satisfying listen and deserves to be heard on its own merits. On whether or not it will appease longtime fans as a vestige of a long-promised return, the jury remains out. ~ Timothy Monger