By Patrick Greenwell
Elvis Perkins and his folk-rock stylings made their musical debut in 2007 with “Ash Wednesday.” Despite critical acclaim, the album did not achieve any widespread success. Though Elvis Perkins is certainly one of the most unique and talented songwriters to come along in the past decade, one would be hard-pressed to find many people who know of him. Last March, Perkins released his second album, “Elvis Perkins in Dearland.” Though probably overlooked, it more than warrants looking into.
“Ash Wednesday” was a deeply personal work. Inspired by the death of Perkins’ mother in the terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2001, the day before the anniversary of his father’s death from AIDS, the album was dark and melancholy. “Elvis Perkins in Dearland” is a very different sort of album. Perkins has attempted to remove himself from the content to a degree, working with his new backing band.
Rather than dwell on Perkins’ personal suffering, the new songs cover a much broader spectrum of topics, ranging from love and relationships to the end of the world. The tone varies greatly as well. There are definitely dark, moody tracks to be found. The album opens with “Shampoo,” a song characterized by Perkins’ moaning vocals and blues-style harmonica, with plodding drum beats and an eerie harmonium accompaniment.
However, unlike on “Ash Wednesday,” melancholy tracks like “Shampoo” do not dominate the album. While Perkins’ voice has an almost consistent air of sadness to it, many songs are very upbeat, with instruments played boisterously and loud background vocals. Songs like “Hey,” “Doomsday” and “I Heard a Voice in Dresden” provide uplifting moments to contrast the gloom. Even within the individual songs, the tone is hardly static. “1,2,3 Goodbye” begins as a soft and poignant song about loss, but concludes with a thunderous climax full of horns and loud drum beats.
The album provides a unique listening experience. Its instrumentation is varied, including not only the harmonium mentioned earlier, but also a trombone, a piano, a bass drum, a harmonica, a bass, a clarinet and various other horns and noise makers, which provide the bird songs during “Shampoo.” Perkins’ lead acoustic guitar seems tame by comparison. It is impressive then, that all of these instruments are played as well as they are. Moreover, Perkins does not restrict himself to a folk-rock sound. Musical style changes greatly between songs. “Send My Fond Regards to Lonelyville” echoes the sounds of a New Orleans’ brass band, but is followed immediately by “I’ll Be Arriving,” a heavy blues-rock track. The last track, “How’s Forever Been Baby?” is a slow waltz, very different from the other tracks on the album.
“Elvis Perkins in Dearland” is an album unlike anything else out there. It is easily one of the best albums to come out this year, and a true must-have, regardless of one’s musical preference.
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