“The music is as sleek as expected from an ensemble like The Hotpants. The rhythm section–Drew Barnocky on drums and Matt Moran on bass–is tight and driving, while Billy Bacci’s electric guitar injects a heightened sense of urgency, a melodic turbo boost triggered at just the right time to evade the pursuers. Caroline Vain’s violin adds vibrant detail, coloring Roark’s verses with further ache and misery, almost like the lingering look-back that always follows. At the forefront, Roark tells the tale with a fearless voice, reaching what many claim is unattainable: closure. Whether or not it truly exists remains debatable, but Roark embodies it here, offering a cathartic performance for anyone still caught in the grip of penance.”

— Doug Nunnally, The Auricular