Lines & Lies is a band from Washington, D.C. The band is a “one man band,” featuring Ethan Rundlett, with a few extra listed credits for backing vocals on this album. Unlike the band’s acoustic release from 2013, All the Pictures of You with Arms Crossed includes some electric tracks. This work has the same style of Rundlett’s previous albums, with a more distinguished quality.

The title of the album brings to mind the awkwardness of social interaction at concerts. These interactions, and the emotions that result from them, are a major influence on this album. But moreover, nostalgia evoked from the memories of these events is instrumental in the work.

The 10 song LP is an emo album, and what better way to open up such a work than with a song about a relationship? “Susie Derkins” ends with the lyrics “she loves me, she loves me not;” There is a sense this relationship transpired, but ended quickly. This touches upon the topic of the ephemeral nature of modern relationships. A lot like the content of the lyrics, the music of the album begins sombre and muted, but escalates and changes moods quickly. Throughout the work, there are a lot of unpronounced buildups.

Another clear indication this is an emo album is the droning, melancholy quality some songs have, like in “Ugly Sweaters that Practically Belonged to Our Ex's.” There is a lot of slow strumming that gives off a lonely quality to some of the songs. The track title “Joysucker,” is also a dead giveaway. There is a definite sense of loss throughout, and of self loathing. The belted lyrics in “Joysucker” contain as many traces of anguish as an utterance or title like “Good Grief” does. “Joysucker” is one of those songs that makes you look wistfully ahead of you.

Concerning titles, as you read down the list of track names, you would think the album would leave off on a sad or pessimistic note, and it does, in a way, but musically it becomes increasingly more powerful, and increasingly peppered with elements of math rock. As in the first few tracks, a large part of the latter songs of the album include loudly projected vocals, guitar, and drums. The emotions conveyed in these songs are vehement. In the self titled track, “fresh skidmarks of you...it’s your name I’ll be coughing up,” speaks loudly of loss, and the vocals Rundlett belts out really convey this. The lyrics of the last track, “try to immerse any idea that the smaller you get, the better you feel,” perhaps mean that by trying to learn more about life, you may not be able to fill the void inside of yourself. Ultimately, there is a lot of soul searching going on through the entirety of this album, but this is what makes album completely relatable.