Perfume Genius, Set My Heart on Fire Immediately | Album Review 💿

Mike Hadreas, better known as Perfume Genius, shines on his incredibly artful, fifth studio album, Set My Heart on Fire Immediately. 

There is a first time for everything, and first times tend to be special.  While Mike Hadreas has appeared on The Musical Hype via a couple of list posts, until now, never has a Perfume Genius album been reviewed.  Yeah, that’s totally wrong, but consider this album review the atonement!  The openly gay musician is an incredibly talented, both as a vocalist as well as a songwriter. 

On his fifth studio album, Set My Heart on Fire Immediately, Hadreas shows his high level of musicianship, easily yielding one of the elite albums of 2020.  Set My Fire Immediately yields a truly unique, artful listening experience.

“Whole Life”

“Half of my whole life is gone / Let it drift and wash away / It was just a dream I had / It was just a dream I had.” Perfume Genius commences Set My Heart on Fire Immediately beautifully, poetically, and introspectively with ✓ “Whole Life,” a ballad with many retro cues and sensibilities – the lushness of the sound is ‘to die for.’ Hadreas sings with great sincerity as he reflects on age and his evolution in life in general. Among the key, memorable lyrical moments are, “I once hummed the seasons / Now, I’m whistling.”

Set My Heart on Fire Immediately remains potent with standout ✓ “Describe,” which provides a stark contrast to “Whole Life,” which more or less floated along.  No, Hadreas doesn’t belt – he remains refined – but the backdrop is more assertive, with guitars fueling the fire – well for the majority of the song that is! Via DIY Magazine, he describes “Describe” as coming from “a dark place that you don’t even remember what goodness is or what anything feels like…The idea was having someone describe that to you…” One of those ‘good’ moments Perfume Genius needs to have described is love:

“Ooh, his lovin’ felt like ribbons
Ooh, an echo in the canyon.”

✓ “Without You” continues the very personal nature of the album, as well as serving up continual contrast.  Essentially an alternative country record, Hadreas reflects on body dysmorphia and self-acceptance.  Honestly, both topics are incredibly underrepresented in music, particularly from male artists.  So often, the male artists focus on confidence, masculinity, and limit the vulnerability when more often, songs like “Without You,” run deeper and certainly are much more relatable.  “It’s a blurry shape / It’s a jumbled tape / But sound…” Three for three Mike; three for three.

“Jason”  

“Jason undressed me / Lying on his sheets / He did not do the same / Even his boots were on…” Reference to sexuality appeared on “Describe” briefly, but on ✓ “Jason,” it’s much more pronounced.  Detailing a one-night stand when Hadreas was 23, the hook-up occurred with a straight guy and apparently, involves some nurturing from Mike.  “He was afraid / Tears streaming down his face,” he sings on the second verse, adding on the third, “I was proud to seem / Warm and mothering / Just for a night.” Musically, the biggest triumph on “Jason” is Hadreas’ falsetto – simply amazing.

 “Leave” is the perfect example of a ‘vibe’… in the context of an alternative album, of course.  Mikes sings in an undertone, accompanied by strings and synthesizer – quite the ambience, sigh.  There are only a few lyrics, but they convey the plight of love perfectly.  One particular lyric definitely stands out – the titular line of the album. ✓ “On the Floor” follows, with desire clearly doing a number on Perfume Genius.  “On the floor / I pace, I run my mouth,” he sings, continuing, “I pray, and wait / I cross out his name on the page.” Geez Louise! The excellent second single gets more vivid, with the ultimate goal being fulfillment through love. Musically, it’s another stark contrast – quicker, more energetic, and more commercial, within the context of alternative pop that is. “On the Floor” marks one of the best produced efforts of the album.

“Your Body Changes Everything”

“Your Body Changes Everything” continues the gift that is Set My Heart on Fire Immediately.  The electronic drums and programming stand out in particular. Perfume Genius continues to deliver authentic, emotional vocals, continuing to express the power of love and desire.  I love how “Your Body Changes Everything” balances vintage sounds and more contemporary alternative/chamber-pop. ✓ “Moonbend” ranks among the most radiant, mesmerizing songs on the album, finding Hadreas singing in an unhurried, indulgent and intimate fashion. Slow in pace and minimalist (initially), “Moonbend” is a record where you lean on every note that is played and sung. It’s hypnotic; definitely spellbinding. Nearly five-and-a-half minutes in duration, this Baroque pop number is definitely a showstopper. The orchestration would earn it that distinction alone.

Perfume Genius maintains a slow tempo on the follow-up, “Just a Touch.” While picking up the BPMs wouldn’t have hurt, “Just a Touch” establishes more rhythmic identity from the start. Furthermore, after hearing more glorious singing and storytelling from Hadreas, tempo is unimportant. Hadreas told The New Yorker that for this particular song, he “imagined a wartime story, the idea of giving this song for someone who was going away, and that they could sing a melody to remember.  A lot of queer relationships were like that – they had to exist in secret, they had to be brief, frantic, passionate explosions, and then afterward you would only have a memory to sustain it.” #Nailed It. With that background, it makes “Just a Touch” that much more meaningful:

“Touch me deep
Before you leave
Every move in time
...Take my song in hiding
Hum the melody.” 

Worth mentioning, Hadreas mentioned “humming” on the opener, “Whole Life,” and how his own had transformed into “whistling.”

“Nothing at All” 

More tempo and greater assertiveness arrive on ✓ “Nothing at All,” the tenth track on the album.  On this love song, Perfume Genius already knows and possesses exactly what his lover wants needs.  Once again, we hear Hadreas make reference to ribbons, as he did on the aforementioned “Describe”:

“You can say what you want but I already know
Our body is breaking down to a single beat
The sadness you carry, it hangs like a ghost
And I’ll just tear it down and I’ll wear it like a ribbon
Give it.”

Pretty sweet! On another modern retro-inspired, artful number, “One More Try,” Hadreas is willing to die for one more try at love (“My life for one more try / Your hand in mine / I’d run straight to the light”). The simple chorus is the crowning achievement, namely Hadreas’ falsetto.

Penultimate number “Some Dream” is yet another showcase, exhibiting exquisite, tender vocals – initially! After the introductory verse, supported by a gentler backdrop, “Some Dream” becomes much more robust, quicker in tempo, and more assertive.  Of course, it doesn’t last, as Perfume Genius delivers another contrast slackening the pace once more.  Hadreas certainly knows how to engage listeners.  He concludes his masterpiece with the heavy, self-described “saddest song [he’s] ever made”, “Borrowed Light.” “Borrowed Light” is very philosophical, questioning existence and spirituality. It certainly feels like the appropriate coda to Set My Heart on Fire Immediately:

“I thought the sea would make some pattern known
And swim us safely home
But there’s no secret
Just an undertow.”

Wow…

Final Thoughts

All in all, Set My Heart on Fire Immediately is a superb album by Perfume Genius. As my first time experiencing a project by Hadreas in full, this was definitely a marvelous introduction.  What makes Set My Heart on Fire Immediately stand out are the vocals and songwriting by Hadreas (a given), as well as the variety of contrasts that appear from start to finish.  While this is art-pop to the core, this is an album that still manages to provide variety from more intimate performances to more energetic and more overt ones.  With no glaring miscues, and such lofty musicianship, to reiterate, Set My Heart on Fire Immediately ranks among the best albums of 2020 – the crème de la crème.

✓ Gems: “Whole Life,” “Describe,” “Without You,” “Jason,” “On the Floor,” “Moonbend” & “Nothing at All”

Perfume Genius • Set My Heart on Fire Immediately • Matador • Release: 5.15.20

Photo Credit: Matador