When you hear Perennial describing themselves as ‘art punks’ it’s hard to know what to think. Inspired by the Seattle post-hardcore scene and the stripped-back power of The Hives, their sound is propelled by short bursts of garage rock riffing, all rounded out with keyboards and back-and-forth vocals. It’s an approach that has a striking similarity to Help! She Can’t Swim – noisy, but also catchy. Their DIY music is loud, gleeful and wears its mid-2000s influences like a badge, so it’s definitely punk. Their second album ‘In The Midnight Hour’ arrives in a world where NFTs and franchises are trying their darndest to debase the word so it’s refreshing to hear ‘art’ describing something provocative and exciting.
Perennial are made up of Chelsey Hahn, Wil Mulhern and Chad Jewett, and the record feels like an amalgamation of three personalities, each with their own tics. While Jewett twangs riffs out of his guitar and yells the main vocals, Hahn provides a counterpoint and uses keyboards for flavour. Mulhern’s contribution shouldn’t be understated as much of the album’s momentum derives from the interplay between his drums and the guitars.
Built around repeating riffs and vocal parts, everything has an intoxicating energy with each song mixing these elements in different ways. The bubbly and accessible ‘Perennial In A Haunted House’ was an obvious choice as a single, showing off everything they do in one tight, fun package, but any song could be a highlight. With the instruments playing off each other and a bouncing vocal pattern, ‘Soliloquy For Neil Perry’ is a joyous noise that comes off like a cross between dance hall party and riding a whirligig. In contrast, big riffs power ‘Hour Of The Wolf’, showcasing the album at its most propulsive, with a harsher vocal adding balance. Although broadly similar, the staccato jangle of ‘Tooth Plus Claw’ has a different flavour, yet maintains the album’s cohesiveness but it’s not all wild riffs. During its second half ‘I Am The Whooping Crane’ takes a scenic detour allowing the sound to get a little messy and really adding to the album’s overall texture. This also applies to ‘Hey Eurydice’ which acts as a brief interlude to the chaos. You’re never far from a lurching riff, but never too close to one either. Listen to it on shuffle and you quickly pick up how well sequenced the album is.
Expertly towing the line between a record and a riot, this second full-length has a greater awareness of why their songs work, and they frequently revisit lyrical themes not just for effect but also for amusement. ‘Food For Hornets’ in particular addresses this head on with the lyrics “cut up the pattern”. Otherwise it’s a fairly abstract journey, leading to some fascinating turns of phrase and allowing you to easily read meaning into the anarchic yelps, giving the songs a welcome depth. The Blood Brothers’ influence is keenly felt on the rowdy ‘Perennial In A Haunted House’ or the scouring yells that define ‘Melody For A New Cornet’ which spills over from boisterous to downright angry. It is also worth noting how both vocalists change their presentation, shaping their yelps and yells to give each phrase, and hence every song, its own feel. Check out ‘Absolver’ where Hahn trades the same line with Jewitt in but in a variety of different ways.
Producer Chris Teti, best known for his work with The World Is A Beautiful Place And I Am No Longer Afraid To Die, has captured a hard-edge that really suits the music. The guitar riffs bite and there’s a spaciousness to the overall sound making sure none of the various elements are drowned out. It also helps that each song’s little quirks (including a little trumpet abuse from guest artist Michael Buckland) make it feel layered without ever taking away from its rawness.
With all but three songs clocking in at less than two minutes, and none making it past two and half, this is a tighter, brighter more bubbly expression of the band’s sound than heard on their debut. It all feels delightfully concise and unlike hardcore punk they’re not trying to tear off your ears in short bursts. Instead they present an idea and quickly flesh it out, hooking you in and squeezing everything from it without stretching it too thin.
Neatly balanced between bubbly and brash with their new record, Perennial have taken a handful of influences and created the best kind of organised chaos. Never claiming to be something it isn’t, this is an album that is free and exciting without ever feeling loose. The Hives have had their turn, with ‘The Midnight Hour’ Perennial are staking a claim to be your new favourite band.
IAN KENWORTHY
