Too Numb to Know showcases Profligate continuing to shirk the heavy electronics of his early years for razor sharp pop. On 2018’s Somewhere Else, Noah Anthony de- livered catchy nuggets while adding live instrumentations, reinvigorating his songwriting and sonic palette. This new song-driven approach gained praise from Resident Advisor, Pitchfork and The Wire, exposing Profligate to new listeners. Anthony worked on Too Numb To Know while living on both coasts of the United States, but eventually com- pleted the album in Cleveland, Ohio, where he currently resides. Anthony recorded demos in Philadelphia and in Los Angeles, which was a creatively-challenging, emo- tionally-depleting city for him – after losing the computer holding original recordings of TNTK to a thief, he took a friend’s suggestion and moved to Cleveland where he fin- ished the album, and added contributions from allies like Matchess, Lazy Magnet, Gel Set, Missions, and others.

TNTK is about growth, reflection and change. Lead sin- gle “Hang Up” urges the artist’s younger self to trust his instincts during chaos. Its message pairs with bright key- boards, a pulsing beat, and soft, alluring vocals – on the chorus, he croons “Nothing you create but love penetrates.” It’s an urgent, driving pop song that fuses electronics with rock instrumentation like the best of Alternative radio. “A Little Rain” and “My Days” feature evocative me- lodic and textural beauty. The latter’s hopeful and as- suring chorus is unexpected and welcome. Softer mo- ments like these are interspersed throughout TNTK in between kinetic numbers like “No Clear Way” and “We Can Punish,” or “A Stranger” reminiscent of his noisi- er, beat-oriented years. This varied approach and atten- tion to detail is garnish to an already tight song cycle.