In the first of a brand new weekly feature that will dive deep into a significant release from the past five days, we analyse Ethel Cain’s “Perverts”. The new project from the cult multi-disciplinarian is as avant-garde and challenging as anything you’ll hear in pop music’s sphere this year.
Gasp! Shriek! Cry! A world of hideous beauty, sacrificial sonics and gothic overtones seems far from what would fulfil the wishes of fans of pop music in 2025, what with the happy-go-lucky cheek of Short n’Sweet and the glossy It-girlism of BRAT dominating last year’s album canon. But since her early EPs, and complex 2022 debut album Preacher’s Daughter, Florida-born multidisciplinary artist Hayden Anhedonia—or Ethel Cain to most—has never subjected herself to conformity. And with her new project, “Perverts”, Cain alienates herself further than ever from any flicker of mainstream consideration, evaporating into a Twin Peaksian daydream of nightmarish fantasy, Machiavellian mayhem, glimpses of defiant beauty, and an undeniable cult status.
The long periods of muted atmosphere in the opening title-track set the tone of the 90 minutes to come. Written, produced, and mixed by Cain in its entirety, across the nine tracks—four of which stretch beyond the 10 minute mark—she builds a reality impossible to escape from, one which demands its listener’s undying attention. The song structures refuse to be linear, instead melting away through phases, in and out of focus with minimum comfort or melodic let-up; haunting, drone-laden, eerie. Lyrically laconic, the post-industrial landscapes and biting distorted guitar concertos drive the pace and purpose of the album far more Cain’s occasional dulcet tones, her vocals being ghostlike and vacant when they do appear.
“Perverts” is far from easy-listening, but when you do finally reach the gentle harmonies and guitar-picked poignancy of “Amber Waves”, a wave of elusive emotion shall gush over you. What do you feel? Sentimentality? Confusion? Relief? Maybe all three. One thing is for sure though, Cain has concocted a body of music like none other. And whether you enjoy it or not, for such a popular artist to even attempt such work is highly applaudable. Let’s hope others follow suit. Sabrina’s concept album, coming soon?
Listen to “Perverts”…
Words – Ben Tibbits