Transgender Dysphoria Blues is a perfect storm of great songwriting paired with some timely, frank admissions from Grace.
The trick of the album is how the music -- simple, hookier than most Against Me! music -- sells the story, underscoring the universal elements of this very specific story.
Although wrapped in a vague, overarching storyline about a transgender prostitute, Transgender Dysphoria Blues is the strong, strident sound of a heart-on-sleeve artist owning her newfound epiphany.
Once it all sinks in, the self-released approach, scrapped-together band, and 29-minute running time should only shock those who expected this to be a huge statement by Grace on anyone's terms but her own.
We may want to make Grace a symbol of something, take her struggle with identity and expression and render it a simplified abstraction, but this rollicking, excellent rock record wants none of that. It’s a physical sound, a visceral set of emotions, a complicated set of fears and hopes to grapple with.
Laura Jane Grace has penned not only an album of exquisitely realised, achingly charming rock songs but she has also cemented herself as one of the most vital, intriguing, engaging voices in modern punk rock.
Transgender Dysphoria Blues will be remembered as a milestone not because it’s the first widely known punk record performed by a trans woman, but because it brandishes a genre saturated by empty, male-centered politics to broadcast the most punk statements possible: Fuck the haters, be who you are, hold fast to those who love you.
It's still a great, short, raw blast of a melodic punk album, one that may not be a classic but is sure a lot of cathartic fun to listen to today.
Against Me!’s sixth album, however, is not simply music to carve an apple bong to. It tackles singer Laura Jane Grace’s recent transition from male to female, and also encompasses death, drug addiction and fascism - but you can totally still skank to it.
Transgender Dysphoria Blues demands a more visceral reaction than mere respect. These songs have just as much heart as they do guts, and the LP stands as Against Me!’s first forward looking album since Searching For A Former Clarity.
While Against Me! might have a renewed sense of purpose in its focus on transgender topics, the band's instrumentation hasn't been exciting since As The Eternal Cowboy.
true trans soul rebel brings me to my knees EVERY fucking time. god what an album, i will never forgive fantano for giving it a 5
I am a pretty punk rock trans woman named laura so yeah of course im gonna fucking love this
A powerful message watered down by all the unfortunate, bland, and drab trademarks of the pop-punk genre. I really wanted to love this album and I did love some parts of it but overall, wasted potential
The first two tracks had me crying. After that it kind of got muddy but then the final two tracks pulled me back in. Anyways, TRANS RIGHTS!!!!
1 | Transgender Dysphoria Blues 3:16 | 93 |
2 | True Trans Soul Rebel 3:12 | 88 |
3 | Unconditional Love 2:51 | 71 |
4 | Drinking With the Jocks 1:48 | 77 |
5 | Osama Bin Laden As the Crucified Christ 2:57 | 80 |
6 | Fuckmylife666 2:56 | 82 |
7 | Dead Friend 3:02 | 74 |
8 | Two Coffins 2:20 | 73 |
9 | Paralytic States 3:12 | 88 |
10 | Black Me Out 3:07 | 90 |
#2 | / | Grantland (Steven Hyden) |
#2 | / | Noisey |
#5 | / | MAGNET |
#6 | / | Consequence of Sound |
#6 | / | PopMatters |
#7 | / | TIME |
#10 | / | Pazz & Jop |
#10 | / | Sputnikmusic |
#14 | / | SPIN |
#14 | / | Stereogum |