★★★★☆

American alt-pop sensation Perfume Genius’ sixth album leaps into a new sonic world. A world that’s both archaic and futuristic, with chants, vocal distortions and unrecognisable instruments creating soundscapes worthy of scoring a major motion picture. 

Recognisable instruments range from dramatic organs in ‘Herem’ to buoyant arpeggios sung by flutes and clarinets in ‘Teeth’. The familiar-sounding mbira (finger harp with metal prongs) heard in 2017 hit ‘Slip Away’ seems to reappear in ‘Sherzo’ while the shrilling dissonant tones in ‘Hellbent’ sustain the drone of a Scottish bagpipe. Yet the harmony of a complete orchestra is nowhere to be found. In Mike Hadreas’ signature way (he’s the man behind the Perfume Genius mask), everything feels slightly off-kilter and on the verge of a psychotic break. 

In contrast to previous work which has explored themes of sexuality and self-acceptance, Ugly Season leaves a lot to the imagination, communicating the essence of a feeling rather than the feeling itself. But as Hadreas continues experimenting with different mediums and remains heavily led by live performance (much of the album was originally written for an immersive dance piece staged in 2019 and a short film by visual artist Jacolby Satterwhite accompanies the album's release), perhaps Ugly Season is simply incomplete as a solely auditory experience. It’s an exciting prospect that gives this album all the more scope and gravitas. 

Ugly Season is out now on Matador records.