With a title like Hole In My Head you’re probably expecting one of two extremes – really heavy or really melancholy. Instead, what you’ve got is a quick hit of 11 tracks of punk flavoured rock and roll.
Laura Jane Grace returns with Hole In My Head following up from 2021s At War With The Silverfish and it’s a departure from anything she’s done before. And while the sound may be different to anything she has put out before one thing remains the same and that’s the quality of song writing.
The opening two tracks ‘Hole In My Head’ and ‘I’m Not A Cop” have a 50s/60s rock feel being led by upbeat guitars. The chorus of ‘I’m Not A Cop” has huge singalong potential as well with its anthemic vocals.
‘Dysphoria Hoodie’ features grace opening herself up. Explaining the track, she says “this is a song about gender dysphoria and your favourite hooded sweatshirt. Any trans person out there knows what a dysphoria hoodie is — it’s the hoodie you wear when feeling low and dysphoric and you don’t want the world reading your gender.”
The retrospective ‘Punk Rock Basements’ looks back on Grace’s rise through the punk scene. Probably the catchiest track on the album, the series of claps are distinctly not punk but the sentiment is there.
The rest of the album is heavily acoustic, and with the shift in tempo and tone there is no loss of quality. ‘Tacos and Toast’ sees Grace shedding the skin of an ex, with a chorus of “I ain’t got nowhere to be today, I think I’ll get a line tattooed through your name”.
‘Mercenary’ has more of Grace’s signature vocals filling the track with emotion and features a driving bass line that rumbles throughout the song. Following that is a countryfied ballad ‘Keeping Your Wheels Straight’ which is about her home city of St. Louis and features a nod to Elliot Smith.
The final two tracks have her opening up, writing from experience and pouring everything into both songs. ‘Hard Feelings’ features a series of apologies and regrets, while ‘Give Up the Ghost’ ends the album with a powerful yet emotional vocal delivery.
On Hole In My Head Laura Jane Grace takes you on a journey filled with joy, honesty and optimism. Never shying away from growth and change, Laura Jane Grace once again shows her quality as both a musician and a writer with Hole In My Head being one of her best albums to date.
