Mike Hadreas’s most accomplished and confident album yet is a subtle journey of transformation and acceptance
Every Perfume Genius album marks some kind of transition. When singer Mike Hadreas released his 2010 debut, the intimate, introspective Learning, he emerged boyish and fragile, contrasting lo-fi production with watertight melodies. He has unfurled with each subsequent record: Put Your Back N 2 It was less timid, the previously muted and muffled DIY production replaced with something brighter and assured. Too Bright and No Shape were even bolder and experimental, as metallic electronics and a wide berth of instrumentation complemented songs that merged the personal with the political: “No family is safe when I sashay,” he sang on Queen.