Did anyone have alt-country on their Perfume Genius bingo card?
If so, good for you! Because that’s the dominant, if subtle, sound on the fittingly titled “Glory” (Matador), the seventh Perfume Genius (aka Mike Hadreas) album, and the first in three years. Easily the most accessible release in PG’s catalog, “Glory” features a stellar line-up of guest artists including nonbinary musician Meg Duffy (of Hand Habits fame), Aldous Harding, legendary drummer Jim Keltner, Blake Mills (who also produced), and Hadreas’ longtime partner Alan Wyffels (who also co-wrote some songs). The results are utterly gorgeous, user-friendly compositions that play like the ideal combination of the personal and the universal. Each listen (repeated spins are recommended) reveals something new and, well, glorious, especially on “Clean Heart,” “Me & Angel,” “No Front Teeth” (featuring vocals by Harding), “Full On,” and “It’s A Mirror.” Even when Perfume Genius returns to the experimental territory for which he is known, as on “Capezio” and “In A Row,” it’s done in an inviting way.
Even if another classical music effort wasn’t on your Rufus Wainwright bingo card, there’s no reason to be surprised by “Dream Requiem” (Warner Classics). Early on, Wainwright, the gay son of singer/songwriters Loudon Wainwright III and the late Kate McGarrigle, made it clear that opera was his first love. With “Dream Requiem,” he now has three classical albums to his name, including 2015’s “Prima Donna” and 216’s “Take All My Love: 9 Shakespeare Sonnets.” Described as “an amalgamation of two musical and creative ideas” that took shape during the pandemic and the California wildfires, “Dream Requiem” features Meryl Streep reciting Lord Byron’s 1816 poem “Darkness” as soprano Anna Prohaska, and Chœur de Radio France, and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, under the direction of conductor Mikko Franck, perform the musical portion of Wainwright’s composition.
Some artists deserve their own bingo game altogether. Over the last few years, queer singer/songwriter Brandi Carlile’s collaborative work with Joni Mitchell, Tanya Tucker, and Brandy Clark (for all of which she received Grammy Awards), have illustrated her talent in that area. In his own right, Elton John has also proven himself to be an adept collaborator, from “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,” his 1976 chart-topping duet with Kiki Dee, and his 1991 “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” duet with George Michael, to entire albums of collabs (1993’s “Duets” and 2021’s “The Lockdown Sessions,” as well as 2010’s “The Union” with Leon Russell). In that regard, it makes sense that a collaboration such as “Who Believes in Angels?” (Interscope) by Elton John & Brandi Carlile would come to be. Taking the teamwork even further, all 10 songs were co-written by John, Carlile, producer Andrew Watt, and John’s longtime co-songwriter Bernie Taupin. Album opener, “The Rose of Laura Nyro,” an affectionate homage to the late queer musical genius Laura Nyro incorporates references to her music throughout, and one can only hope that this will lead to the uninitiated to explore her vast and miraculous catalog. The song itself is pure vintage Elton John and is a fitting way to set things in motion.
Would there be an Elton John if not for Little Richard? “Little Richard’s Bible,” another musical tribute, attempts to answer that question. Carlile steps to the front on the queer anthem “Swing For The Fences,” and the gorgeous “You Without Me.” The Oscar-nominated “Never Too Late,” from the 2024 doc “Elton John: Never Too Late,” is a perfect example of the pair’s effortless musical partnership. The album closes with “When This Old World Is Done With Me,” which sounds like one of John’s most personal compositions, sung from the perspective of a 78-year-old man coming to terms with history, and facing his remaining time with dignity.
