Photo Credit: Cadwaladr
Jeff Rosenstock is a veteran DIY artist who is known for being in multiple bands such as The Arrogant Sons of Bitches and Bomb the Music Industry! In early 2018 he released his fourth album Post-.
Rosenstock started writing for the album during the aftermath of the 2016 presidential election and many of the tunes on the album are reflections of current political realities.
One of the centerpieces of the album is “USA” an epic seven and a half-minute tune which effectively distills the feeling of anger and disillusionment many are feeling in Trump’s America.
The song opens with the poignant lyrics “Dumbfounded, downtrodden and dejected. Crestfallen, grief-stricken and exhausted. Trapped in my room while the house was burnin’ to the motherfuckin’ ground. ”
The song also features the anthemic refrain “we’re tired and bored” coupled with a rousing chant of ““Et tu, USA!”, (which could easily be mistaken for “FU, USA,” which would also seem appropriate). The lyrics help highlight that systemic corruption can beat people into submission.
The song and the album grapples with the question of whether or not the USA is worth saving. Hopefully the good in humanity will prevail and the current course will be corrected.