Rating: NNNN
Given that Perfume Genius’s breakthrough debut was a lo-fi bedroom affair mastered from second-generation mp3s, its follow-up is a chance for Seattle-based singer/songwriter and pianist Mike Hadreas to give greater clarity and breadth of expression to his striking melodies in a proper studio.
Like his debut, Put Your Back N 2 It is a collection of songs about addiction, hustling, suicide, gay sex and self-doubt, though it’s slightly more expansive in scope. Not only is Hadreas’s fearless falsetto easier to hear, but it’s also surrounded by uplifting flourishes and fine detail: ephemeral sounds on the Edna St. Vincent Millay-penned Dirge, a rising wall of noise on AWOL Marine that mirrors the melody’s inhale/exhale pattern – subtleties that draw you deeper into his world.
As quickly as he lures you in, however, he’s on to the next emotionally vexing mini-narrative. (The album’s longest song lasts three minutes and 16 seconds.) Conveying so much harrowing detail in such a brief time is no small feat – one reason why his music lingers long after the album ends.
Top track: No Tear