Perfume Genius - Ugly Season

This entire album is a slow-burning, tension-building, meticulous amalgamation of sounds that have a magical aura surrounding them. Somehow, the feeling presented is one of unease and urgency while still being serene, composed and peaceful. This makes for a very ambiguous sentiment that is simultaneously puzzling and familiar for the listener. Some kind of mystical power that unapologetically radiates from this album.

The long runtimes never feel undeserved. Every song is just as long as it should be, no more, no less. The pacing is on point, which helps the tracks blend elegantly into one another to make a frightfully coherent and cohesive tracklist. This is an album made to be heard as an album; that much is extremely clear.

Eventhough you could argue that Mike’s vocal performances aren’t as present here as they’ve been on previous projects, i think, instead, he speaks much louder artistically than he has in the past. This man’s soul is overflows from the edges of every long instrumental break, of every lyric, of every eccentric vocal inflection.

A masterful showing from an artist who’s sound as evolved now to what seems like a real breaking point (in a good way, of course).