It's a subtle difference to be sure, but it seems to me that one difference between today's whinefest/angry-young-man-fest is the object of the whining -- and, perhaps, today's less clever use of language in the conveyance of what few "bigger themes" there are.

The themes of yesteryear seemed to be more universal -- the "I" and "me" of yesterday's songwriter were actually, in effect, an "everyman" -- and the struggles portrayed, whether "big theme" or mundane, were the struggles of us all. Today's "I" and "Me" are actually, literally that. And I find myself not relating.

Of course, the ultimate unfairness in my observation is that we currently only listen to the best of yesteryear, while today's writing -- good and bad -- is happening around us.