Pitchfork writer Joe Tangari described the album's songs as "tightly wound nailbombs of rapidly shifting meters, clanging rhythms, and mathtacular start/stop passages designed for maximum sensory damage.

Sanford's vocals are secondary, it seems, to the grotesque clatter surrounding them – he whispers and growls squarely in the middle of the mix, perfectly content to let the pummeling grooves overwhelm his Dadaist lyrics."

"[2] Intimate Lightning was issued on CD by Boston, MA independent label Mr. Records.

Due to several production errors at the pressing plant, only 141 copies of the Intimate Lightning LP were released.

[3] On the vinyl version, side A ends in a locked groove with the culmination of the track "At the Pink Pony".