Sprint through Against Me! lead singer Laura Jane Grace’s chaotic relationship with her gender identity — it reads like a coming-of-age novel that begins with adolescent longing for expression, and ends in a war cry of supremely assured indifference to any who seek to oppress it.
Some lyrical moments that lack polish only reinforce the confessional atmosphere. Choruses are repeated to death, which will fly great on stage, but headphone listeners can only hear the same screamed line so many times.
“Two Coffins” attempts a quiet interlude, but feels misplaced. The strongest point is the title track, which agonizes over society’s refusal to see a girl as she wants to be seen; it carries the potential to become a queer anthem. “Drinking with the Jocks” is a grand classic screamer recalling their 2002 debut, and the album closes with “Black Me Out,” a swaggering, jovial fuck-off to those who still may not accept her for who she is.
