Laura Jane Grace In The Trauma Tropes - 'Adventure Club' Album Review

Sean Friswell
Jul 22
3 min read

Tracklist:

1. WWIII Revisited

2. Wearing Black

3. I Love To Get High

4. Active Trauma

5. New Years Day

6. Mine Me Mine

7. Your God (God’s Dick)

8. Fuck You Harry Potter

9. Poison In Me

10. Espresso Freddie

11. Free Cigarettes

12. Walls

So, let’s deal with the name of the band first, it’s long but if you know the back story it makes total sense. The band formed when Laura Jane Grace went to an artists retreat in Greece sponsored by the Onasis foundation. As a solo artist and a punk approaching her mid 40’s she was questioning everything which she has always done. So of course, the solution was to form an intercontinental band with her wife Paris and all Greek rhythm section and while the plan had originally been to release an EP or maybe a single somehow the whole thing worked so well that an album came into being.

The album was released on the 18^th of July on PolyVinyl so I am a bit late reviewing it, but I make no apologies for still reviewing it as its such an excellent record.

If going abroad, working with a completely new rhythm section and living in Greece for a while leads to something this good we should probably all do it!

There are a number of themes throughout this album, playfulness, protest, self-awareness, pushing boundaries and ultimately acceptance of who you are. What is prevalent throughout is a sense of just sheer joy, this is a collection of individuals who are clearly loving what they are doing, and it comes across incredibly well. There are some lyrics that may mean some of the songs will never see airplay on mainstream radio, but you can just sense that these are going to be brilliant live songs should the band ever tour them.

The unexpected side is the humour, not something always associated with punk rock which can occasionally take itself too seriously, does anyone honestly think the pioneers of punk took themselves too seriously? They were having fun, and this album very much reintroduces that sense of humour to the genre. If in doubt, go listen to 'Espresso Freddie'. It’s not all fun though, there is a serious side to this as well, someone here has had enough, listen to 'WWIII' and you will see what I mean. Actually, just listen to the whole thing!

As there is a Greek element to this album blended with Florida and California surely the obvious place to tour would be the UK? I can at least hope as I think this will could be one of the seminal live punk shows!

This is a tremendous album, confrontational in the way only great punk can be while at the same time encouraging you to think and not necessarily be conform and be what’s expected at you. 'Wearing Black' is the prime example of this, saying it’s okay to support something but not be exactly the same as the thing you are supporting and ultimately still be yourself. There is an implicit challenge to the conformity that sometimes forms that if you support a thing, you must dress and behave the same way as everyone else who is part of it.

The truly great thing about this album is how four very diverse talents have found each other and created some tremendous music which is amongst some of the best punk rock I’ve heard in a long time. This is quite simply a class punk rock album that deserves to be heard as widely as possible.