By The Time I Get To Phoenix is Injury Reserve’s third and final studio album. Dedicated to Jordan Alexander Groggs aka Stepa J. Groggs — one of the members of Injury Reserve who tragically passed away in 2020 — the album is reflective of the hardships and social upheaval experienced by the group over the past few years. Groggs had suggested the title of By The Time I Get To Phoenix shortly before his passing, as an homage to the group’s hometown of Phoenix as well as to the classic Isaac Hayes song of the same name that has been covered and repurposed countless times. Undoubtedly their most experimental record to date, this album is a bittersweet reminder of Injury Reserve’s promise and a somber indication of the exciting directions Groggs and the rest of the group were headed in. Rest in peace Stepa J Groggs.

by Paul Schoening