Mike Hadreas has come a long way from his lo-fi roots.

Better known by the pseudonym Perfume Genius, the art pop balladeer is lauded for his heartrending lyrics on love, loss and sexuality —  trading genres like pairs of shoes. Hadreas’ 2020 release, Set My Heart on Fire Immediately, is by far the best example of his chameleon-esque variability, with the artist bouncing from soaring, electrified ballads to meaty, pounding pop.

Glory, released on Friday, partially continues this trend, but with a much less sprawling sound. Instead, Hadreas embraces an earthy suburbanite rock infused with lush electronics and signature unplaceable melancholy.

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“It’s a Mirror,” Glory’s leadoff track, defines the tone for the remainder of the LP. With its moody, red dirt guitars and clamorous rhythm, Hadreas sings with an edge to paint a hazy picture of Midwestern longing – escape is within reach, but not quite ready to be grasped.

New Zealand singer-songwriter Aldous Harding features on “No Front Teeth,” contributing vocals to a soaring, airy bridge, crashing to the ground as swampy guitars enter the foray. It’s a moment sure to evoke the grimy rock of Neil Young and Crazy Horse.

“Time, it makes a clean heart,” Hadreas sings on “Clean Heart,” accompanied by a tinkling celeste. Lyrics such as “It’s only dust kicked up and lost” channel the vintage misery that Hadreas’ voice often exudes, sinking the hearts and tightening the chests of listeners.

Glory further proves that Hadreas is a formidable 21st century rocker, producing quality rootsy rhythms with a dose of pop shine from modest electronics. Blake Mills, the album’s producer, has the right touch for Hadreas, as Glory is the fourth Perfume Genius release he’s produced. 

Hadreas’ lyrics are also in top form, channeling the weariness of an out gay man who’s experienced a lot in 43 years. Few other songwriters can weave whirling scenes of heartbreak and victimhood into short bursts of pop songcraft, and Glory delivers more stellar tales for his discography.

But it’s hard to match the artistic peak that Hadreas reached on Set My Heart on Fire Immediately, and Glory falls a little short. In the album’s second half, tracks such as “Dion” lull and slow down the pacing, and other highs don’t fully exceed expectations. Following an album where he declares “Half of my whole life is gone,” Hadreas presents solid tracks that carry heavy weight but seem unsure of what direction to turn, what next stage to fully embrace.

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It’s evident that Hadreas leans toward the confines of a short and sweet ballad. “Glory,” the album’s title track and closer, feels like a return to the lo-fi confessions of Hadreas’ first album, Learning. Piano chords stumble while static buzzes loudly in the background. “Loosened, roving stray, guest of body, now in quiet glory,” he quavers in soaring, multi-tracked falsetto.

It’s a chilling end to a solid body of songs, evoking his past while gesturing towards his bright artistic future.