Laura Jane Grace is the unstoppable punk rock chameleon that 2024 needs. Somehow, when she isn’t masterminding the mighty Against Me!, or releasing her solo albums, or touring with Catbite, or reimagining Operation Ivy tracks, or getting married after a whirlwind romance, she’s recorded an EP with yet another new project. Does she ever sleep, or just power herself by absorbing punk energy via osmosis? ‘Give An Inch’ with the Mississippi Medicals won’t answer that question, but it will open a well into DIY happiness to replenish your love of rootsy, authentic rock.
First, a warning; this is a very short EP. You could listen to the whole thing while in the queue for your morning latte, but you aren’t left frustrated by these all-to-brief glimpses into Grace’s latest direction. In fact, it’s been a hallmark of her sound for the last twenty years to keep her music as bare and unadorned as possible, so it’d be a little jarring to suddenly hear a rambling prog epic. There’s a definite rambling supergroup aura to this release – Grace is joined by Matt Patton of Drive By Truckers, Mikey Erg of the Ergs and her spouse, Paris Campbell Grace – which, when combined with the rapid fire tracks, makes the whole EP feel like you’ve just wandered into a very spontaneous jam session in an underground bar in the middle of nowhere.
The small space that’s evoked and pleasantly lo-fi jangling makes for gorgeous listening. ‘Razor Blade Blues’ swirls with bluesy, trucker realism, with an ominous choral backing vocal and desperate twang on each line. ‘Karma Too Close’ is perhaps the song closest to the sound of Against Me!, urgent and polemical with a dreaminess underlining the life advice dished out by Grace’s grungey guitar, and ‘All Fucked Out’ meanders lazily, the bass uncoiling slowly. ‘Hoka Hoka’ gallops with folkish anarchy towards a self-confident destination, and ‘Fuck You Just Because’ is a late night realisation, a swaggering tirade that’s blissfully rage-filled.
Whether this is a sampler that hints at Grace’s next direction, or a little gift to the faithful struggling to catchup with the vocalist’s prodigious output, doesn’t really matter. These neatly wrapped little songs serve as a reminder that Grace is at the top of her game, whatever guise it comes in, and that you really don’t need flashy production to make a solid EP.
KATE ALLVEY