Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (Original Cast Recording)

America’s seventh president as an emo-rock icon? That’s the unlikely premise for Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, an audacious musical featuring the songs of composer Michael Friedman. This stage show draws parallels between 19th-century America and today’s youth culture with cheeky irreverence and unexpected bursts of insight. Ambition, lust and violence seethe through these lyrics as the music combines hell-bent punk energy with Broadway tunefulness. The show’s score bristles with rowdy anthems (“Populism, Yea Yea”), morbid ditties (“Ten Little Indians”), congressional sing-alongs (“The Corrupt Bargain”) and presidential laments (“The Saddest Song”). The fierce, guitar-driven “Rock Star” makes the connection between the hunger for political glory and showbiz fame explicit. Amidst the mostly hard-charging tunes is the pastoral ballad “Second Nature,” a moving commentary on the cost of progress. At once a full-throated celebration and a scathing satire, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson is a history lesson that will send you bouncing into the moshpit.