As the end of each month nears, I comb through all the potential releases to include into Ska, Punk, and Other Junk. The nature of that column doesn’t allow me to go too deep on any given title because my goal is to expose as much new music to as many people as possible. It’s a time capsule of the new albums that stood out to me that month. But sometimes, a new release demands a more in-depth feature.
This month, that album is MERICANNIA from Matt Wixson.
For the uninitiated, Wixson typically works in the ska genre. But as of late, he’s shifted to a more introspective folk-punk singer-songwriter style Following up 2023’s Redacted Memories, MERICANNIA reveals Matt Wixson with the gloves completely off. Fully embracing his reputation as a provocateur, he’s laid all his beliefs on the table with no restriction or censorship. The 12 songs that make up Wixson’s manifesto aren’t offensive or off-putting. While he wants to highlight the world from his leftist point of view, he does so in the most respectful way possible.
Throughout the album, Wixson recognizes the problem isn’t Democrat vs. Republican. It’s much simpler than that. The two major political parties in this country are different wings of the same corrupt Bald Eagle. The problem is between those with wealth and power vs. those without. Whether they’re technically blue or red, those in power will do whatever they need to keep that power.
Wixson provides some of the most thought-provoking lyrics I’ve heard this year.
His masterful songwriting includes blunt truths, sarcasm, humor, satire, and criticism. He paints a picture of what it could look like if we adopted a more leftist viewpoint. I found myself reading the lyric sheet as I listened to the music like I did as a child with a book on tape. Even when the subject matter is antagonistic, Wixson never belittles listeners. He wants to connect with people who approach the material with an open mind and a desire to consider a different viewpoint.
While I share several of the same beliefs as Wixson, his lived experience is different than mine. This allows even someone who is like-minded to be exposed to a different perspective. Ultimately, that empathy in action can become the building blocks to revolution.
Mericannia deserves a critical listen because it has a lot to say.
It could be easy to dismiss the lyrical content if you approach it believing that Matt Wixson is just trying to rile some feathers and be provocative. But in doing so, you miss the point. With love, desperation, and hope guiding the way, Wixson shines a bright light on all of the dark and vile things he sees in the United States and the larger world around us. He takes extreme stances on this album with the sole purpose of trying to provoke discussion. By helping people to open their eyes, he can encourage them to stop and think if the lives we’re living right now really are what they should be.
Hell, he even got Dicky Barrett from The Mighty Mighty BossTones and The Defiant to join him on a song. If that doesn’t shock you within in the contemporary ska and punk scene, I don’t know what will. With the continued rise of fascism and censorship across the United States, this album provides another example of why voices like Wixson’s shouldn’t be censored. There’s power in dissent, now more than ever.
I spent so much time talking about what Matt Wixson has to say that I didn’t discuss how everything sounds.
Mostly acoustic folk and folk-punk, MERICANNIA has a true melting pot of inspirations. One opening track, “Snakes & Ladders” has an Eastern European feel to it that would make Gogol Bordello proud. A ska song about witch burning in the Colonial days possesses keen parallels to the present day. He delivers a Bomb the Music Industry! cover song, as well as a reworking of Victor Jara’s “El Derecho De Vivir En Paz,” updating it from Vietnam to Palestine.
Matt Wixson experimented with so many genres worked with many guest musicians throughout MERICANNIA. The arrangements and lyrics for each song went together perfectly. This is the most ambitious album he’s ever released, and it is without hesitation the best album he’s ever written.