No family is safe when he sashays. Seattle singer-songwriter Mike Hadreas’ (who performs as Perfume Genius) music could once be described as fragile, melancholic and piano-driven with swirling vocals carefully tip-toeing on tracks from previous albums, Learning and Put Your Back N 2 It. Now, three albums in, the once delicate singer has broken out of his shell – or slipped into a new persona – with a reassuring confidence, unapologetically bold and honest, exploring sometimes dark, but empowering tales of fearlessness and converting shame to ownership, often touching on themes that aren’t so universal. The sounds are just as refreshing. A bit different from his previous works, he experiments with more synths and electronic elements, almost burying his popular niche, the sound of beautiful keys carrying songs like Put Your Back N 2 It’s “Hood” and uptempo, “Mr. Peterson” from Learning. Make no mistake, Perfume Genius has always delivered, but there’s definitely been a musical shift.
Too Bright, Perfume Genius’ newest work enthralls listeners with its singles “Grid” and “Queen,” followed up with equally striking music videos. The only thing left to do is to catch Perfume Genius live at the Parish next week, where he’ll be joined by New York visual artist and singer Matteah Baim.
Burning Question
Don’t you know your queen?
Ingredients
gold, music, nail polish, pianos, lipstick
Essentials
The Parish
Oct. 14, 7pm
All ages
$15 cover
