78. STAY ALIVE by Laura Jane Grace

Punk rock band Against Me!’s frontwoman, Laura Jane Grace, dropped a surprise solo album this past week. Though quarantine livestreams have become a thing of late, Grace has shied away from those, instead deciding to make this record over the span of just a few days and using songs she had written prior to and during the pandemic. Mostly (but not completely) acoustic, the focus is on the lyricism here. Give ‘The Calendar Song,’ ‘The Mountain Song’ and ‘Hanging Tree’ a listen - the latter is a damning condemnation of Trump and his sycophants. Also, consider re-visiting Against Me!’s landmark record, “Transgender Dysphoria Blues,” previously discussed here.