Long-awaited, honest punk rock answer to some complicated questions.

Following a tumultuous year for Against Me!, especially frontwoman Laura Jane Grace, the band has released their first album on their own label, Total Treble Music. The album deals with Laura Jane Grace‰’s feelings about her longtime dealings with gender dysphoria, and comes just a year and a half after she publicly came out as transgender, and the band went through changes in their lineup. Despite this, though, Against Me! maintains their sound, bringing elements of metal and hardcore to a more classic punk style. However, about halfway through, the album takes a turn away from the super hard-edged songs. There‰’s even strong shades of pop-punk on “FUCKMYLIFE666‰Û, with more delicate guitar melodies and deeply introspective lyrics. Then, “Two Coffins‰” comes in toward the end of the album, and is a folk-y ballad, just Grace and an acoustic guitar. Laura Jane Grace goes through a range of emotions on this album, from rage to nostalgia to sorrow, yet at the heart of this album are what Against Me! does best: honest and gritty punk rock songs. For all the questions Against Me! fans have had for the past year, this album is the answer.

RIYL: The Loved Ones, The Menzingers, Off With Their Heads
Recommended: 1, 2, 6, 8