- Audio CD (Dec 14 2010)
- Number of Discs: 1
- Label: Matador Records
- ASIN: B003JONX30
- Other Editions: Audio CD | LP Record
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #15,579 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
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Product Details |
Product Description
Album Description
That maxim of beauty springing from the darkest of places is one of the oldest in the book to be sure, but it is nonetheless more than applicable in this instance. After spending his teenage years careening dangerously out of control, Seattle native Mike Hadreas finally faced up to the darkness that plagued him, moved away from New York and threw himself into a spell of self-imposed isolation in his mother's house in the suburbs. It is here that, filled with pent-up emotion and frustration and no way to express it, Hadreas sat down at a piano one day and found his voice as Perfume Genius. He wrote over 10 more songs in the space of a year, with this record, "Learning", the staggering end result. The single "Mr Peterson", released in March, may have captivated listeners with its strange beauty; its gorgeous, piano-led simplicity belying its subject matter of suicide and perversion, but that is only the tip of the iceberg. While the 10 tracks comprising "Learning" may at times feel acutely, almost painfully close to the bone, it is also, at the same time, a deeply cathartic and incredibly moving experience, and one which travels the gamut of human emotion. This is unsurprising perhaps, as Hadreas has sequenced the album in chronological order: the title track is the first song he ever wrote, with the following songs all tracked in order of when he wrote them. This record, therefore, is one which slowly grows and expands over its running length: from the fragile, ghostly whisper of the title track to the shimmering, slow-motion ballad "When", the sorrowful hymnals of "Gay Angels" to the yearning "You Won't B Here Tomorrow". By the time the album closes with the last, crystalline notes of "Never Did", there's something else too - a sense of healing, of hope amidst the horror, flickering but defiant, enough to make your heart burst. With "Learning", Hadreas has not only managed to wrestle his own personal demons to the ground, but has done it in a way which taps into the broken heart inside us all. This is the human experience, but rubbed raw and laid bare.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.5 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
deep dark creepy beautiful, Sep 20 2010
By R. C. Warren - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Learning (Audio CD)
My favorite thing about this album is that it almost seems wrong to be hearing it. It's like we're hearing this guy's innermost deep dark secrets, and if we're not careful, he's going to catch us listening to his audio diary. Some of the lyrics are downright creepy, which is good. It's part of the appeal. Musically, there's not a great deal going on, but that's okay.I wouldn't have it any other way. Piano and keyboard music and sounds go great with some of the most touching words I've ever heard in music. If there were more instruments, it probably wouldn't be as great. 5 stars, for sure.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Beauty in sadness, Feb 6 2011
By D - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Learning (Audio CD)
If Xiu Xiu and Parenthetical Girls had a little brother, he would be Perfume Genius. But "Learning" outshines those and other dark art-rockers. It's got all the markings of my favorite music: it's beautiful and haunting, sad and delicate, and of course musically excellent.I give it four stars only because at ten tracks and 29 minutes, it's disappointingly short. I find myself listening to the whole thing two or three times in a row, because I don't want it to end. But if Mike Hadreas keeps making music this good, he could become one of my favorite artists.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Learning, Feb 26 2011
By Spider Monkey - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Learning (Audio CD)
I have to agree with other reviewers in stating that Perfume Genius has created a beautiful, haunting album.I came to this from a music magazine recommendation and I am so glad I did. I checked out some live tracks on YouTube first and I have to say that the live tracks I heard (Never Did, Learning and Mr Peterson) seemed to resonate with emotion and power. This comes through on this album, but I felt this to be slightly more reserved and staid in comparison. It is my own fault for hearing such sublime live versions first, I know.
Saying that the tracks mentioned above are real stand-out tracks and the pared back piano and simple lyrics manage to hit home immediately. This is a relatively short album, but it is perfectly crafted and you feel it affect you as it progresses until you want to hit that play button at the end and revel in it all over again.
This is one of those album that you'll either love or hate and I'm glad to say I love it. It is haunting, intelligent and beautiful, which are all things I adore in my music. Check this out, but be warned, get the album first and then check out the live clips online. It's the best way round to do it.
Feel free to check out my blog which can be found on my profile page.
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