Album Club Discussion #3: Perfume Genius' No Shape

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ordinaryperson
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Album Club Discussion #3: Perfume Genius' No Shape

Post by ordinaryperson »

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No Shape by Perfume Genius

AM Ranking: #1108
Genre: Art Pop
Release: 5 May 2017
Label: Matador
Ranked Songs: Slip Away (#1759), Die 4 You (Bubbling)

WikipediaRYM

01 | Otherside
02 | Slip Away
03 | Just Like Love
04 | Go Ahead
05 | Valley
06 | Wreath
07 | Every Night
08 | Choir
09 | Die 4 You
10 | Sides
11 | Braid
12 | Run Me Through
13 | Alan



Music Videos:

Slip Away:
Die 4 You:
Wreath:
Any type of opinion can be expressed on these discussion threads, you can post just a few words or a couple of paragraphs, you can even rank the tracks if you wanted to. New discussions will be posted on Fridays, so that users will have the time over the weekend to listen to the album and form their opinion on it.

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Jirin
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Re: Album Club Discussion #3: Perfume Genius' No Shape

Post by Jirin »

This one currently sits at #555 on my AT list and easily made my year end top ten. Wreath is one of those songs where I hit back the first time I get to the end of it on any listen.

Perfume Genius is one of the bands right now I have highest expectations from. Great pop melodies with the rare combination of raw emotion and polish that most artists can't seem to get more than one of at a time. Bold lyrics uncompromisingly declaring identity.
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FrankLotion
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Re: Album Club Discussion #3: Perfume Genius' No Shape

Post by FrankLotion »

Yessssss I will take any excuse to listen to this album again. Perfume Genius’ discography has been pretty impeccable at this point but No Shape is particularly special. Mike’s lyrics are as stirring as ever but the record really takes off with the immaculate production. On top of that, this may be one of the best mixed albums I’ve heard, every instrument sounds clean and crisp (and loud) but the singing still sits right in the center and is completely ear-grabbing. This album got it’s fair share of praise last year, I’d say it’s only slightly underrated but I’d put it at my #8 for 2017 for sure!

P.S.- Only just noticed this listen, does anyone else get a vague Twin Peaks vibe listening to ”Sides”?
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spiritualized
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Re: Album Club Discussion #3: Perfume Genius' No Shape

Post by spiritualized »

There's another genre which I am not particularly fond of - Art Pop. Far too often it sounds like a sorry attempt to make music without melodies and show how "arty" and not subject to trends the artist is. Bjork fell into that trap and I usually brace myself when I see an "Art Pop" tag.
Perfume Genius' previous album, Too Bright, was heavily synthpop, with warm tones and I liked it really quite a bit. Unfortunately not so with "No Shape". Incredible sound but boring and unmemorable tunes, basically going for the art rather than the pop.

I rated this one 6/10 in 2017, will not change my mind after another listen.
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Safetycat
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Re: Album Club Discussion #3: Perfume Genius' No Shape

Post by Safetycat »

First listen to this album has been very positive! I'd need a closer second listen to figure out which are my favourites, but in general I love how this album sounds. I'd only been exposed to the song Queen previously, which I could take or leave, so I came into this album with very low expectations. Very pleasantly surprised by it though. The singles are great, but in general I like most of the tunes here. Only downside is I don't care for the falsetto on some of the songs.

8/10 (with room to move since I'll be definitely revisiting this one at some point)
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Rob
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Re: Album Club Discussion #3: Perfume Genius' No Shape

Post by Rob »

Late again, but I did listen so I will unleash my opinion.

I already listened to this twice last year and came away disappointed. This week I listened again two times and nothing's changed. In fact, I have the same feelings about this one as his previous Too Bright: there is clearly a huge talent here, but it doesn't always come out as well as I would like. I think Perfume Genius is one day going to drop a truly great album, perhaps even one of the masterpieces of the era, but at least to me that album is not called No Shape (or Too Bright).

I don't share Spiritualized's general feelings (as expressed two posts above this one) about art pop, but I do get them here. There is something unmemorable about much of the music here. Not even after four listens do most of these songs stick in anyway. In fact, sometimes it feels as if Mike Hadreas undermines his own work. He is a very good singer and sometimes he strikes on a good tune, but rarely does he develop it. Every Night for example starts with a rhythm that builds a lot of tension, but the build disappears quickly and becomes repetition. There is no pay-off there either. Die 4 You promises at the start to become a gripping ballad, unexpectedly styled in similar music from the nineties. But then it just becomes a formless mass that doesn't suit the lyrics or the emotions and lacks any feel of direction. Of course the album is named No Shape, but did he really mean that so literally?

There are still some highlights though. I don't think Slip Away is a masterpiece or anything, but it is certainly memorable. The duet with Weyes Blood, Sides, benefits not just by the synergy between the two performers, but also by being played more straight. And then there is Wreath, to me easily the best thing here and oddly overlooked in general. That is more really good tracks to me than Too Bright, although that album had the irrepressible Queen, the only song that makes this artist deserve the 'Genius' in his name.
6/10
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