For Aesop Rock, the phrase I heard its a mess there too started out as a lyric, but it didnt take long for that line to get its hooks into him. It felt familiar, like a line hed said a thousand times in recent years while checking in with friends across different cities, swapping stories about where each other are, and whats going on there. The more he sat with the phrase, the more it started to feel like the center of something bigger. I Heard Its A Mess There Too lives at the intersection of two personal urges for Aesop: the need to venture out and document your surroundings, and the desire to stay connectedespecially when things feel uncertain.

Musically, Aesop Rock explores some new territory on the album. Id been building tracks the same way for many years, he says, but I made a conscious shift in my process here. I tried out some new tools and attempted to make my beats cleaner, more minimal. The drums are more stripped back, the bass lines are allowed to just sit, without layering ten things on top. I didnt want the beat and the vocals competing for attentionI just wanted enough to get a wave rolling and not much more, just setting a mood I could move to. These twelve songs mark different stops along that path of tinkering and looking for something new.

1. Crystals and Herbs
2. The Cut
3. Full House Pinball
4. Bag Lunch
5. Spin To Win
6. Opossum
7. Oh My Stars
8. Potato Leek Soup
9. Pay The Man
10. Poly Cotton Blend
11. Call Home
12. Sherbert