Against Me!
Transgender Dysphoria Blues
Reviewed by: Sebastian Mackay
It doesn’t get any braver than this. For decades punk rock has been about anthems, fighting the man, speaking against injustice and Against Me! are leading the charge in a new direction with Transgender Dysphoria Blues. The pain and anguish of this album is balanced by the anthemic quality of the songs and the driving forwards of the tracks from one point to the next. It feels like the album should teeter on the break of despising the world and then take the plunge into misanthropy, but it doesn’t. “Even if your love was unconditional…it still wouldn’t be enough to save me” from the track “Unconditional Love” is so alive that it carries itself into an anthem.
The near 30 minutes of the album is a blaze of glory. It’s comprehensive in its subject matter, it’s personal and it also carries that all important aspect of music – you can relate to it. It’s almost a shame that it’s over in such a short time but a second listen reaffirms the heart and soul that has been bled into these three minute tracks.
When it comes down to it, it’s hard to fault this record. It’s about a change that most people, the majority of people, aren’t familiar with and the trials and tribulations of that change. As for tracks, do yourself a favor and listen to this record top to bottom in order. The title track is honest and heart wrenching “your tells are so obvious/shoulders too broad for a girl” and “you want them to see you like they see every other girl/they just see a faggot/ they hold their breath not to catch the sick”. While track two “True Trans Soul Rebel” is broad enough to wrap it’s arms around the lonely and also embrace and build upon what was put forward by the title track.
This album changes everything and is incredibly important to music and culture.
Rating: Iconic
