Perfume Genius 

                                                    Put Your Back N 2 It 

                                                             8.5/10

                                                         iPod Worthy

There has yet to be a Gay Album; a record made by a gay artist that really encapsulates what it is to be gay and regarded by fans and critics as a masterpiece. Most “gay” oriented music comes in the form of hard dance beats or empty cheesy pop songs that ooze sex appeal and are sung by buff hot dudes or seductive and fierce divas. I should probably preface this review with the fact that I am a gay man so I believe I have some merit with what I have to say about all of this and Perfume Genius aka Mike Hadreas’ sophomore album, Put Your Back N 2 It. And his album isn’t THE Gay Album either but it is certainly on the right track and certainly paves the way for future records made by himself and others. 

I was enamored with Perfume Genius’ debut, Learning, where I compared his tortured voice and even more tortured lyrics with the king of crazy and wounded, Daniel Johnston.  Obviously they have different struggles but their sound and vibe were pretty similar in all the best ways possible. With Put Your Back N 2 It, Hadreas is still cooing about his personal demons, struggles with relationships and just the struggles of being gay. Except with his lastest effort, there is an uplifting twinge to it — not to sound cliche but Hadreas evokes a “It Gets Better” message in some of the tracks, like “Normal Song.” 

The album opens up with a great le sigh from Hadreas on the track “Awol Marine,” about substance abuse and addiction, an unfortunate reoccurring theme in gay culture. One of the most depressing tracks is “17,” which the singer described as a “gay suicide letter.” But the album’s strongest moments come with the two singles “All Waters” and “Hood.” The former is a minimalist’s dream as a tender piano riff dances around Hadreas bellowing vocals. “Hood” is about loosing a loved one and never getting them back again — the songs are short but powerful and engrossing. “Dark Parts” is another powerful moment where the heavy song punches you hard in the gut.

Put Your Back N 2 It is a brilliant follow up to Learning and Hadreas shows himself more as a talented lyricist and singer. Although most of these tracks are gay-themed, I believe they are able to transcend all sexual orientations and everyone, gay, straight, bisexual, transgender, asexual, whatever, can find some a part of themselves in these 11 tracks.   

Watch the video for “Hood” below: