Seattle's Mike Hadreas (aka Perfume Genius) got a lot of attention when he released his fantastic debut album Learning in 2010. Now we have Put Your Back N 2 It, a follow-up that once again showcases the tremendous talent of this young new artist.
"Put Your Back N 2 It shows how much Hadreas learned from Learning: it's more confident but still subversive, like the work of someone who's come through troubles stronger and can comfort others. The unabashedly lush sound of songs such as "AWOL Marine," which, with its sweeping synth strings and piano, feels like a missing piece of Angelo Badalamenti's melodramatic and knowing score for Twin Peaks, only highlights how tremulous Hadreas' voice still is, but he finds strength in his fragility. There's a strong hymnal, inspirational quality to Put Your Back N 2 It suggesting that Perfume Genius could do a brilliant version of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" if Hadreas wanted." - All Music
"He has a brilliant feel for poetic imagery ("The hands of God were bigger than grandpa's eyes/ But still he broke the elastic on your waist," from "Dark Parts", is particularly haunting), but he's mostly moved away from storytelling to explore emotional themes at their most fundamental. Put Your Back N 2 It is an album about love—what happens when we feel sheltered by it, how we fail to love ourselves and the people around us—but amidst the heartache and bruised tenderness, there's hope, too. Hadreas sums it all up in the hollowed-out torch song "No Tear": 'I will carry on with grace.'" - Pitchfork