Breaking the Balls of History

Vocalist and drummer Janet Weiss broke her legs and collarbone in a car crash in 2019, and by the time she had healed, the world was experiencing lockdowns as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, so she worked on the album with bandmate Sam Coombes.[1]

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	82/100[2]
Review scores
Source	Rating
DIY	[3]
Exclaim!	8/10[4]
Mojo	[5]
Pitchfork	6.3/10[1]
PopMatters	8/10[6]
Uncut	9/10[7]

Breaking the Balls of History received a score of 82 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on 10 critics' reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[2] Uncut called it "pure, distilled Quasi" and felt that "Sam Coomes's songs are all killer. [...] Janet Weiss, meanwhile, once again proves herself to be a fine vocal foil, and perhaps the greatest rock drummer alive".[7] Mojo stated called it Quasi's "most corrosive cocktail yet of melodious sunshine pop and blackly comedic lyrics".[5] DIY's Elvis Thirlwell described it as "an effervescence of headlong, wind-slicing garage rock that's equal parts brazen, jubilant and loud" with tracks that "land someplace cool between corny absurdity, and wry sincerity. Littered with askew lyrical turns".[3]

Christopher J. Lee of PopMatters felt that the album "continues [the band's] momentum of irrepressible songcraft. Carrying the torch for three decades now, Quasi have become one of the more enduring musical collaborations out of the Pacific Northwest, and this is a peak moment in their discography. After ten years of patience, Quasi deserve their due".[6] Exclaim!'s Alan Ranta stated that Weiss and Coombes "have never sounded more together, more single-minded and strong-willed. They made an album that needed to be made".[4] Nina Corcoran of Pitchfork wrote that Quasi "sound rejuvenated and youthful, but they forget to look beyond the moment that prompted their rebirth" and remarked that the album "has a blurry quality: a jumble of all-too-familiar thoughts that never add up to a breakthrough".[1]