Against Me! have been putting out
consistently awesome records for almost 15 years now, and Shape Shift With Me is another strong addition to their impressive back
catalogue. It’s unlikely that Against Me! will ever again reach the heights
of their 2007 classic New Wave (which topped this list that year – it remains a particular favourite
of mine). But Shape Shift With Me is probably their best record since. It begins in pummelling style with the
fantastic ‘ProVision L-3’, all thunderous guitars and howled vocals about the ‘culture
of oppression’. They’ve not lost any of
their anger, but they’ve not lost their accessible edge either: ‘Boyfriend’ is incredibly catchy and is
as much pop as rock (despite the swearing and detuned bass). Album best ‘Norse Truth’ has an unsettling
spoken word verse before launching in to a chorus to die for, with a should-never-work-but-does
chord progression that veers all over the map.
Of course, entirely understandably given that they’re fronted by a transgender woman, the lyrical content is notably focused
on trans rights and trans oppression, but Laura Jane Grace here also tackles a
range of other things that make her mad.
This is, throughout, more confident and less self-conscious than 2014’s Transgender Dysphoria Blues (which was Against Me!’s first record after Grace’s
transition). Like their entire back
catalogue, Shape Shift With Me is consistently
excellent grungy rock and roll.
sample track: Norse Truth