With its intelligent nouveau-feminist lyrics and timely riffery, Elizabeth Elmore's mid-1990s band Sarge seemed ever on the verge of breaking through, but never could quite reach the success its critical raves would suggest. She dissolved the band to go to law school, but it took a mere two years for the rock bug to re-bite, and she formed the Reputation. The Reputation never veered far from the formula of Elizabeth Elmore's former band, aside from perhaps slightly softer edges. Elmore’s melodic, hyper-hooky power indie rock still teemed with flawed, fully-formed anti-heroes and heroines on the verge of multiple breakdowns, and stories peppered with polysyllabic words tossed-off nimbly, never for show. Unfortunately, also as with her former band, the act’s following lagged behind its positive critical reception. After two LPs, Elmore posted of the demise of the Reputation on the band’s website.