Perfume Genius is the moniker of singer-songwriter Mike Hadreas. Mike has been making moody, fragile sounding music under the Perfume Genius name since 2010, when he released his debut LP Learning. Now I've been a pretty big fan of this guy's music ever since he put out his last full length, Put Your Back N 2 It a couple of years ago. In fact, that album made its way on to my end of the year list for that year, and I admitted to being unable to write a formal review, due to the fact that I couldn't honestly describe the achingly beautiful songs and emotions of that LP. However, now that I've had a lot of time to digest not only that album, but the rest of PG's music, I can say without hesitation that PYBN2I is one of the most heartfelt and beautiful albums to be released in at least the last five years.
Now, nearly two years later, we have Too Bright, an album that, even from the first single "Queen" promised to be a big shift for Mike. No longer is he a quiet, solemn voice accompanied only by his piano and a few synths, or an acoustic guitar. Instead, Too Bright sees Hadreas expanding not only his musical horizons with a plethora of new sonic additions, but we are also witnessing a man who is embracing, even more than before, his sexuality and the identity that comes along with it.
Songs like "Queen" and "All Along" seem to directly confront bigots and those who are "scared " of how Mike carries himself. The former with an incredibly bright and powerful chorus that has one of PG's best refrains yet, "No family is safe/ When I sashay...". This line alone shows Too Bright's shift in confidence, and it is truly inspiring to see Mike bloom as an artist.
Other standouts (in an album full of them) include the second single "Grid" which sounds more akin to an industrial Swans track than anything that PG has done before; the track "My Body" has a similar quality to it. However, among these more vibrant and aggressive moments, Hadreas still graces us with the style of song that made his music such a treat in the first place; minimal tracks that feature him and his piano, though this time around there are cellos and other instruments in place to give a bit more warmth to the mix.
The opener "I Decline" is just so soulful, and features an almost gospel-like chord progression that reminds me of "Sister Song" from his last album. The title track and closer are two top notch ballads as well, as well as the album's centerpiece "Don't Let Them In".
I have yet to be disappointed by anything that Perfume Genius has released, and I'm already preparing a nice spot for this LP on my end of the year list, it's really that fantastic; you should listen to it.
9.1/10
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