Spite House itself wouldn’t exist without loss. The Montreal-based band was started by vocalist/guitarist Max Lajoie shortly after losing his mother to cancer in 2019. Driven by an intense desire to take control of his life and not waste any more time, Lajoie joined up with longtime friend and drummer Marc Tremblay and by bassist Nabil Ortega to release their self-titled debut album in 2022. Many would hear the fiery emo of that album and imagine there must be some therapeutic release in the music, but when it came time to write Desertion, Lajoie knew he had to go back even further and to delve even deeper. The result is an explosive 29 minutes of heartrending punk that meets the stakes of Lajoie’s truly affecting story, and brings to mind ‘90s greats like Seaweed, Knapsack, or Dear You-era Jawbreaker–all with the urgency of the modern hardcore scene that incubated Spite House. While Lajoie’s lyrics are autobiographical and highly specific to his life, it’s a testament to his writing approach and the band’s energetic delivery that Spite House’s music always feels welcoming and universal. As a whole, it’s Lajoie’s unflinching willingness to put himself into the songs that imbues them with such moving and palpable honesty.