Worriers
Imaginary Life
Don Giovanni
Against Me as led by Natalie Merchant – that’s what I think every single time I listen to Worriers’ first proper full length Imaginary Life. The impassioned outrage at police brutality (“Yes All Cops”), at gender identity and inequality (“They / Them / Theirs”), at the frustration of long distance love (“Glutton For Distance”) – frontwoman Lauren Denitzio attacks it all with a voice that flirts with the same pleasantly nasal sound as the beloved 10,000 Maniacs frontwoman, but with the raw ire of Laura Jane Grace, who notably produced this record. The album chases along at an accelerated pace, with purpose and urgency, and hides deep, thoughtful lyrics within high energy hooks.
“You are fighting between a Rock and ‘Why Bother” – (from “They / Them / Theirs”)
“You learn not to see and you try to pretend/ when you teach your kids to do what they love only on nights and weekends” – (from “Life During Peacetime”)
“You think of leaving, you think of change/ But you’ve worked so hard for what the con’s outweigh/ Repetition becomes so comforting/ barely notice when someone stops listening” – (from “Plans”)
The Brooklyn band hides the vegetables in the mac & cheese, feeding you knowledge through catchy pop punk.
