Laura Jane Grace has erupted into the public consciousness as America’s first proud and truly excellent trans hard rocker. The rub is that for all the acclaim she’s received for her societal trailblazing, she might deserve as many (or more!) accolades for her songwriting as singer/guitarist in punk outfit Against Me! Her verbose, descriptive lyrics carry both the scalpel wit of Joe Strummer and the engorged heart of Bruce Springsteen, accompanied by all the firepower of Metallica’s 1986 backline. by Joseph Schafer