Sackville released two albums on Montreal label Mag Wheel through the mid-90s, and then brought these five songs to Constellation as the group was winding down. Sackville made wonderfully damaged roots music, charting a path through country and pop traditions while distilling a wider range of folk, rock and avant influences. The Principles of Science is their most cohesive, accomplished and modern work, driven by Gabe Levine's vocals and finger-picked acoustic guitar. Violin by band co-founder Genevieve Heistek (Pest 5000) is rich in drones and understated melodic accents. Bassist Harris Newman (Howard North) and guitarist/pianist Ian Ilavsky (Sofa) add to certain tracks, and drummer Pat Conan (Tinker) joins the band on two songs, highlighted by his sparse, expressive playing on "Four-Alarm Fire". A guest vocal appearance by Jessica Moss on "If His Shadow Moves on the Water" rounds out the cast of Montreal musicians involved in these sessions, which took place at Mom and Pop Sounds and at the Constellation Room in 1998.