Eric Emm and Jesse Cohen of Tanlines are indie-rockers, happy middle-aged fathers, figuring out their place in a chaotic culture and industry that can no longer command their full attention. 'The Big Mess' came together when Emm and his family moved from Brooklyn to rural Connecticut, while Cohen launched a marketing career and a successful podcast and stayed in the city. In collaboration with unofficial third Tanline Patrick Ford (!!!-member), the recordings were tied together with a sleek final mix from Peter Katis (The National, Interpol). The first sounds on The Big Mess are the title track's coiled guitars and thumping drums, building into the kind of outsize, choral rock anthem artists like Tanlines were almost a reaction to, sounding warm and nostalgic.