Album Review: Against Me! - Shape Shift With Me

With all the chatter about Laura Jane Grace's status as a transgender icon people seem to have forgotten that she's an artist first and a political spokesperson second.

Nowhere is this more evident than the fact that online discussion about Against Me!'s seventh album seems confined to the appropriateness (or otherwise) of the cover image that shows Laura Jane on her knees submissively licking a pair of riding boots. Far more interesting are the 12 new tracks on offer. No two Against Me! records sound the same and the trend continues here. As soon as album opener ProVision L-3 roars into life it's clear that this record doesn't have the commercial sheen of the band's last few efforts, although catchy numbers like Rebecca and Suicide Bomber will please New Wave fans. There's an abrasiveness to the sound here (perhaps thanks to producer Marc Hudson) that devotees of Against Me!'s early years will appreciate - more recent fans however might be taken aback. While Grace has collaborated musically more than ever before with her bandmates on Shape Shift With Me it's very clear that lyrically, the album is all her.

Throughout the album Grace cathartically lays it all out with tale after tale of her relationship insecurities, losses, rage and even moments of pure joy. Shape Shift With Me isn't an 'immediate impact' record like, say, White Crosses. It's broad in its sonic scope and demands repeat listens.

One thing's for sure - what you think about these tunes today won't be the same as how you view them in 12 months.