Nobody's going to argue that Mike Hadreas's latest album as Perfume Genius is a feel- good kind of record. But compared to his previous album, Learning, some may say that Put Your Back N 2 It is a kind-of-feel-good record. PYBN2I has a distinct, emotional ebb and flow. The songs draw one in with sparse instrumental voicing and delicate melodies which do little to eclipse the bleak lyrics.By Basement DJ: The Doctor
Hadreas sounds hopeful when he sings "And no secret/ no matter how nasty/ can poison your voice/ or keep you from joy" in "Normal Song", but the structure of the song leads one to suspect that his sentiment may not be so true. The songs are all quite short and often end without a sense of resolution. This gives PYBN2I a unique, haunting quality but may understandably turn off some listeners.
PYBN2I may win Perfume Genius some new fans, and fans of his first LP will surely notice an improvement. Album highlights include the dubby percussion of "Take Me Home", the hazy outro of "AWOL Marine", and the entirety of lead single "Hood".
Recommended if you like: Youth Lagoon, Sharon Van Etten, Girls
Essential tracks: "Hood", "Sister Song", "Normal Song"