Under the banner of , Minneapolis songwriter and a constantly rotating cast of area punks brought life to his prolifically churned out songs of angst, anxiety, self-pity, and general hard living. Keeping to a rigorous touring schedule, never had any lack of complicated emotions and opportunities for bad decisions to fuel his songs, and he brought a grim soul-searching to raw, amped-up melodic punk songs album after album. marks the project's fifth proper album, not including a slew of singles, EPs, and lesser projects. Their first album of completely new material since 2013's (2016's reworked older songs in new acoustic readings), is all anthems of searching for hope in misery. 's hardened growl is just as weathered as ever, but there's a sense of redemption that was missing in earlier songs. The long span of time off the road and a move from his longtime home of Minneapolis to Chicago might account for the ever-so-slightly lighter shades on . The album starts with "Disappear," perhaps its clearest and most present tune. sings a straightforward melody, lyrics dripping with disappointment, loneliness, and sentiments of feeling lost in a new place. The song erupts into blinding force, an unrelenting punk rock anthem mourning the loss of a former self. This meeting of blazing instrumentals and clearheaded self-inspection defines much of the album, with songs that beg for a deeper truth from both 's internal and external worlds. "Take Me Away" looks for a savior and "Tear Me Apart" demands respect from a destructive relationship. Produced by , the album has some of ' most driven performances. "Let It All" boasts production so red-lined it feels like the song is threatening to burst into flames at any moment. A more mature and introspective take on the bands' depressive pop punk is refreshing. Their always energetic songs rank with and in terms of sheer force and dour emotional connectivity, and offers the strongest impact the band has made to date. ~ Fred Thomas