Back Catalog Blues

Jan252014January 25, 2014January 26, 2014No Commentby Bake

Posted in Music

I wanted to like Against Me!’s new album. Which if you are familiar with this phrasing, is a hint that the rest of this review isn’t going to be too flattering.

Transgender Dysphoria Blues was released this week with pretty significant hype. Most of the buzz related to the punk band’s sixth studio effort is of course not focused on the music itself but about front woman Laura Jane Grace being transgender. As you may have guessed from the title, a lot of the material is directly related to her transition. Coming from a state where the biggest transgender story at the moment is people angrily debating the merits of an inmate’s gender reassignment surgery, it would be refreshing to have a positive trans storyline to follow. Well, the story may be great, but the album just kinda sucks.

A little back ground. I’ve been an Against Me! fan for over a decade. From their early EPs I was hooked by the raw acoustic folk-punk anthems, the gang vocals that were a little too gruff to really be considered harmonies, and the overtly political lyrics that were about as subtle as Miley Cyrus’s sexuality(desperation). “And we rock/because it’s us against them/We found our own reasons to sing/And it’s so much less confusing when lines are drawn like that/when people are either consumers or revolutionaries.” Some of it was juvenile, some of it was self-aware (I think), but mostly it was just full of energy. This is where Transgender Dysphoria Blues can’t compete. For coming in under 30 minutes long, it just…. drags. Not even in the “contains two filler tracks” sort of way. More in the “hungover for 8 hours at work” sort of way. Despite averaging about 3 minutes per track, the pace and flow make the 10 tracks feel like 20. Some are decent, but sadly nothing to justify the praise that people have heaped upon it. It’s okay, I get it, you’re not freaked out by transgender women. I’m very proud of you. Now tell me what you really think of the album.

I had actually forgot this album was being released until I read Steven Hyden’s profile of Laura Jane and Transgender Dysphoria Blues on Grantland. And his review was just glowing: “Transgender Dysphoria Blues isn’t only the best record Against Me! has ever made, it is one of the more extraordinary rock records of this decade.” Oh good god, holy shit. This album was going to knock my fucking socks off. I immediately went home and went through their entire back catalog again. I do this whenever a new album is coming out because 1) I’m fucking nuts 2) I have too much free time 3) I think it’s good to remember why I actually give a fuck about the band whose new album I’m going to steal purchase and 4) I’m fucking nuts. When I was done with all the studio albums I was so excited that I just moved right onto their live performances that I found on youtube. Then acoustic fan-covers on youtube. Then videos of animals wearing funny hats on youtube.

I was prepared for another change in sound. When Against Me! moved to a major label for New Wave there were fairly significant changes in their music and production. For a lot of people it raised the age old question: Can a Punk band that signs with a major label not be considered a sell out? But I don’t give a shit. We’re all sellouts and I still thought that album was great. I think the band worried about it a lot more than me judging by the lyrical content. (“I’ve heard the hype about your band/I’ve seen your video playing on the TV/Publicity photos in magazines/no none of it makes me feel anything/I would be lying to you if I did not say something/That would make me feel like a politician”) Sure it came with a lot more polish, but it still had great energy (is there a word that sounds less douchey here? Oh, there are several? Fine you write the fucking review). Even their next album White Crosses wasn’t terrible. Some tracks were overproduced, others seemed half baked, but it had some gems in there. (“High Pressure Low”,the title track, any more and I’m probably being too generous) Overall, it wasn’t great, but it didn’t need to be.

Transgender Dysphoria Blues needed to be great. It’s been streaming on NPR, has been the subject of articles in The Washington Post and Rolling Stone, and of course was fellated in the aforementioned Grantland piece. Sadly not everything that Grantland published recently about transgender issues has been nearly as rosy. Of course a lot of things in the transgender community aren’t rosy, and while having a publicly trans mainstream musician may not make a huge difference for everyone, the general population is still pretty ignorant about transgender issues (and everything else?). If there’s one thing I know it’s that…. I know a lot of things, because I use this fucking phrase way too much. But if there’s really one thing that I know, it’s that no one gives a shit about anyone’s problems unless they’re their own, their family’s, or some celebrity’s that they’ve barely heard of. Having a transgender woman make a mind-blowingly good record would certainly peak some interest in a positive way. It’s not fair that Grace has to be the poster child for transgender musicians, but unless the albums stands out as great on it’s own, it will just be “that trans album”.

BUT… it’s just not that good. Unfortunately for an album that by all accounts was incredibly meaningful and heartfelt, it sounds like it has no… heart. Yes, the lyrics are extremely personal and moving, but this doesn’t help that musically it sounds lifeless. Even the more aggressive songs are just not interesting. You don’t want to sing along, you don’t even want to thrust your fist in the air, you just want to hit next. It’s crazy, it’s the most interesting story in rock music right now, but the music itself sounds bland and unoriginal. The songs are a collection of confessions and experiences for which Laura Jane Grace should be applauded for sharing. Is it wrong that I just wish they sounded different?

It brings up the something we all struggle with when writing about music. If you support a band, whether because you went to their first concert, or you agree with the messages that they endorse, are you required to enjoy everything that they create? Most will say it’s perfectly fine to be honest about not liking everything that an artist releases even if you really respect them. Need to be unbiased, give ’em hell. But it’s naive to believe that everyone is writing completely with their ears, and never with their hearts. (Yes I know you write with your hands, smart ass) Someone pours their soul into a record and you’re going to tell them “Sorry, but this is crap”? No fucking way. You’re going to put their musical version of macaroni art right on your goddamn refrigerator. Whatever the equivalent is here, you’re doing it. Talk up the one good song? Appreciate the bravery of the words? Focus on the cover art?

I think other writers and fans were hoping it would be great because that’s the better narrative. Transgender woman struggles with adversity, writes bold album, creates masterpiece. But instead it’s more punk band struggles to make good music outside of their niche. Sadly we’ve heard that one a few too many times already. It’s unfortunate because a lot of people who have never heard of Against Me! will only think of them as the punk band with the transgender front woman. They’ll only listen to this album, and say wow this band is clearly only famous right now because of the trans element. They’ll never get the satisfaction of going back through their back catalog and rocking out to “Walking is Still Honest” or “Pints of Guinness will Make You Strong”. And no I wasn’t expecting this album to have the DIY feel of their earlier work. It didn’t need to be Reinventing Axl Rose. But they already committed to re-inventing themselves. I just wish the end result was more enjoyable.