Against Me!’s agit-punk has been burning since the late nineties, fueled by frontwoman Laura Jane Grace, who has also been making her own name known with her activism and solo music. Hole In My Head strips down her sound to combine almost fifties-esque guitar rock with Grace’s signature voice.
Like a titular opening tracks should, “Hole In My Head” lets you know what you’re in for on the album, catchy punk-rock mostly just reduced to Grace’s acoustic guitar & voice. Hole distinctly leans more into that catch, from “Hole” and the almost rockabilly “I’m Not a Cop” to other songs such as “Hard Feelings”. But that lets Grace’s take on the world shine through, from the ACAB kiss-off of “Cop” to her ode to her favorite piece of clothing & protection, “Dysphoria Hoodie”, looking back to when she played “Punk Rock In Basements”, and the harder lives of “Hard Feelings” and “Mercenary”.
Veering almost into country at times, Hole In My Head is a shift away from the loud! Against Me!, but still 100% Laura Jane Grace.
