It was big news when Laura Jane Grace, lead singer for the punk rock group Against Me! announced in 2012 that she was transgender and would begin a transition to living as a woman, no longer using her given name Tom Gabel. With punk rock’s focus on aggressivity and to a certain extent, testosterone, it was impossible not to wonder how Grace’s announcement would change the trajectory of her band. Released in January 2014, Transgender Dysphoria Blues goes a long way towards answering that question. On it, Grace shows how well punk can accommodate rebelliousness of all shapes and sizes as she paints a vibrant picture of suffering and determination, fearlessly portraying the battles that she has endured.
Even before Grace’s courageous announcement, Against Me! had experienced a good amount of ups and downs. Forming in Gainesville, Florida in 1997, the band drew a lot of flack for signing with major label Sire Records in 2007, based in part on the tendency for punk rock to reject the mainstream and take a more DIY approach. The group teamed up with big name producer Butch Vig as well, and their first release with Sire, New Wave, peaked at an impressive #57 on the Billboard 200 charts. 2010’s White Crosses, also produced by Vig, fared even better, reaching #34 on the charts. The band parted ways with Sire later that year and in 2011, announced the formation of their own record label, Total Treble Music.
Transgender Dysphoria Blues, released through Total Treble, finds the band in some ways returning to its roots. The polish of Vig’s production is replaced by a more raw sound that allows Laura Jane’s excellent vocals to take center stage. The title track that opens the album is perhaps the most radio-ready track, full of taut power chords and catchy guitar riffing. Grace makes little effort to censor her lyrics, filling the song with a gutsy accounting of what it feels like to have little control over how others see her. “You want them to notice/ the ragged ends of your summer dress/ You want them to see you like they see every other girl” she sings, well aware that most people do not.
“True Trans Soul Rebel” follows with more catchy riffs and expert vocals, but begins to dig into the more painful side of Grace’s journey. “Yet to be born, you’re already dead/ You sleep with a gun beside you in bed” she sings before probing more existential territory, wondering “Does god bless your transsexual heart?” As a whole, Transgender Dysphoria Blues definitely makes a statement. Grace rarely minces her words and the album feels potent and compellingly alive from start to finish.
