When Tom Gabel started writing music as Against Me! he was all on his own – just a kid thrashing on an acoustic guitar (occasionally with a drummer in tow) in whatever space would let him set up and play. Now, of course, Against Me! pack ‘em in all over the globe, which makes the notion of getting back to basics all the more attractive. Enter the EP Heart Burns, in which Gabel returns to his roots as a solo singer-songwriter acoustic guitarist. Inspired by the country’s current political and cultural landscape, and recorded this summer between Against Me! tours, Gabel wanted to release these topical and timely songs prior to the national elections. With new-millennium protest songs such as “Anna Is A Stool Pigeon,” prompted by a story about an environmental activist sent to jail after being implicated by an undercover informant, Heart Burns is a scorching musical manifesto.