●●●●○

“No family is safe when I sashay,” croaks Mike Hadreas in Queen, the most memorable track from his third album. The statement itself is an oxymoron that bemuses the Seattle-based singer. We still live in an age when belonging to LGBTQ community is viewed by some as a weakness of character, yet Hadreas finds amusing the “faces of blank fear when I walk by”.

In Too Bright, he begins to depart from the familiar setting of personal piano ballads, into the PJ Harvey and David Bowie inspired terrain of more elaborate grungy productions. The result is a musically diverse selection of songs, which are held together by a common thread of plain weariness over how we treat one another in society. Finger-snapping Fool along with Queen are also prime examples of the developing confidence and extroversion in Perfume Genius’ work. With every studio album Mike Hadreas seems to stand taller and speak louder in the faces of haters — “I am too tired to hold myself carefully / and wink when they circle the fact that I’m trapped in this body”. However, the barren piano ballads of old are still present, sung with the same mix of vulnerability and courage, for instance the beautifully melodic Don’t Let Them In and opening track I Decline. The record reaches crescendo during the frantic and ominous Grid before slowing down to a gentle finale in All Along.

Perfume Genius epitomises the curious streak present in human nature of being able to confront your innermost demons through the medium of art, whether music or otherwise. Oftentimes, the natural human reaction is to shut down into yourself in the face of adversity, but Mike Hadreas does the opposite. Overcoming hate and addiction he flourishes musically, and produces by far his most notable work to date.