Monday, July 19, 2010

Album Note - Perfume Genius: Learning

In Ms. Key's 8th grade literature class, Bill Jones defined melancholy as "a sweet sort of sadness." We should have had him define nostalgia, oblivion, euphoria, enlightenment, and redemption as well. He was a master of the language and we wasted our chances, concentrating instead on stewardship of the green thing, a thin strip of acetate we took turns taking home. (Don't ask).

I mention such grand ideas, including the green thing, because when I listen to Perfume Genius, a/k/a Mike Hadreas, I feel melancholy, nostalgia, and the rest. It's all there, (ok, maybe not redemption, maybe depression instead, or perhaps insanity, definitely pain) and I adore every moment. I want my music to make me feel vacant and fulfilled all at the same time. This is the stuff for it, even with its very lo-fi'ness,  though not, blissfully, of the irritating kind. Indeed, the second tier sound is unquestionably part of the art in this case, adding to the experience masterfully. But I'm just a consumer, so what do I know? A consumer of melancholy, nostalgia, euphoria, and oblivion (ok, maybe not oblivion), at home with my music.

Pitchfork: Album Reviews: Perfume Genius: Learning 8.2/10.0

New band of the day – No 699: Perfume Genius | Music | guardian.co.uk

Perfume Genius - Learning / Releases / Releases // Drowned In Sound

Perfume Genius - Learning | The Line Of Best Fit







Pictured is a detail from the British Library, London. It is unrelated to the album.