This is Laura Jane Grace’s first Against Me! album as her new self. In turn, Transgender Dysphoria Blues feels less like a rebirth of the more-than-a-decade-old alternative/punk band, and more of a statement to fans that Against Me! is still the rebellious and vocal punk band of their early years. The only difference is frontwoman Laura Grace has found a new identity and would like to share how it affected her growing up in Gainesville, Florida.
Transgender Dysphoria Blues works great as a concept album because the songs tell the true stories of Grace’s life and what exactly she went through: from being harassed and bullied by classmates to being alienated and unaccepted by family. This type of mature, poignant songwriting helps separate Against Me! from the countless other alternative/punk bands that ride the Warped Tour wave for a couple years and fizzle out as soon as the fan base reaches college.
The first song, “Transgender Dysphoria Blues,” hits listeners with a stunning anger and rebellion to begin the story. Grace isn’t beating around the lyrical bush on this record. Lines like “You want them to see you/ Like they see any other girl/ They just see a faggot” allow for listeners to get a sense of the brutality Grace suffered throughout her childhood and young adult life.
This album reaches back to the band’s roots in songs like “Unconditional Love,” “Drinking With the Jocks” and “Black Me Out” with their middle-finger-to-society bravado, mosh pit-incepting guitar riffs, and liberating admonitions.
Transgender Dysphoria Blues sheds the musically restricting limits of traditional punk, and formulates some songs into more radio-friendly hits that more mature audiences can find pleasing. Songs like “True Trans Soul Rebel,” “Paralytic States” and “Dead Friend” do this exactly. However, by crafting these songs into more of a pop-punk sound disallows them from reaching the musical depth they could have achieved.
Where this album lacks in musical depth, it picks up in song meaning and storytelling. This lack of musical depth is the mere fatal flaw of the album. Thankfully, almost all of the songs end before the three-minute mark, which stops each of them from becoming tiring.
It’s hard to create a mainstream punk album that won’t be forgotten within a year, and Against Me! defies this by making the subject matter brutally honest. Transgender Dysphoria Blues works as the resurgence of Against Me!’s punk roots, while at the same time showcasing their lyrical growth, independence, and longevity in the fading alternative/punk scene.
Rating: B
