Album Review

Perfume Genius – Mr Petersen

• 1st Mar 2010

In the days of ye olde recorde, Perfume Genius’ ‘Mr Petersen’ would have been double sided – the first track, ‘Mr Petersen’, on one side and the second, ‘Never Did’, on the other. Well, the format may have changed with time, but even with modern gigabytes and whosamuwatzits instead of tangible records, ‘Mr Petersen’ is most certainly a single of two sides.

The title track begins with jaunty, almost fairground-like piano plonking and the slight fuzziness provided by the sound effects give it an instantly vintage feel. It’s simple and summery, very easy to listen to and oddly comforting in its emotional honesty. The lyrics map coming-of-age, and all the discovery and tragedy which come with it; ‘Mr Petersen’ is the rock-god role model we all had as a teenager, one minute enlightening you on the likes of ‘The Joy Division’, and then “when I was sixteen he jumped off a building”, culminating in the somewhat vague but naturally distant hope that “I hope there’s room for you up above or down below.”

Musically there’s very little variation throughout the song, but rather than making it dull or repetitive, it enhances its sense juvenility and naivety. Looking back on life at aged sixteen can often bring on a sense of comforting security and blissful ignorance, enhanced further by the the basic chord structure, economical use of instruments and inoffensive, hum-able melody.

The more thoughtful side of maturing and its losses is innate in ‘Never Did’, which begins more thoughtfully with a light, enigmatic twinkling of the piano keys, deceptively optimistic and leading into a markedly more morose melody. This is backed by a “heaven/hell” mixture of the heavy, thumping chords on the piano at the lower end of the keyboard combined with delicately distorted, barely-there and slightly ethereal notes played at the higher end. The vocals here are tenderly sung, and higher pitched than those in ‘Mr Petersen’ and each of these components intertwine beautifully to create a gently mournful song which, for a brief time, bares the soul of its singer.

This is truly promising work, and a tantalizing glimpse of what Perfume Genius may have in store for us in the future. If they keep up this level of honesty and reality within their music then their next release is most definitely one to be on the lookout for.