At 83 minutes,
23 Live Sex Acts carries considerable weight. It's heftier than the average live album, suggesting this isn't a mere way of biding time while
Against Me! regroup and work on new material. Instead,
23 Live Sex Acts plays a bit like a consolidation, a way for leader Laura Jane Grace to draw explicit connections between the group unveiled on 2014's
Transgender Dysphoria Blues and the band that existed a decade prior. The change isn't limited to Grace's transition: apart from guitarist James Bowman, this is a different band than the one showcased on 2006's
Americans Abroad!!! Against Me!!! Live in London!!!, the last time
Against Me! released a live album. They're older now but they feel hungrier, speeding through a career-spanning set with a vigor and purpose that rivals the energy of a band still cutting its teeth. This excitement can be exhausting over the course of nearly 90 minutes, but that's also an attribute: this version of
Against Me! throws everything it has into a performance and while that passion may be overwhelming, it's also potent and thrilling. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine