The cover of Mike Hadreas’ fifth album as Perfume Genius, “Set My Heart On Fire Immediately”, depicts the singer-songwriter staring directly into the camera while shirtless, exuding confidence and vulnerability in equal measure. It encapsulates the feel of the album beautifully - this is Hadreas at his ambitious, fearless best. 

Quickly approaching middle-age, Hadreas comes to terms with his mortality with tear-jerking honesty in opener “Whole Life”, as he realises “half of my whole life is gone”. Rather than lamenting missed opportunities, however, he resolves to “let it drift and wash away”. This theme of acceptance permeates all 13 tracks here. The fragile, insecure Hadreas documented on his debut album “Learning” has continued to grow both musically and lyrically with each new release, and “Set My Heart On Fire Immediately” represents a blossoming.

Long-time fans will be glad to know that all the lyrical themes expected in a Perfume Genius album are present and accounted for. Sexuality and desire are explored with exquisite beauty on “Jason”, which recounts an awkward one night stand as Hadreas’ shimmering falsetto floats delicately over a twinkling harpsichord. Elsewhere, the country-tinged “Without You” is a heartbreaking yet hopeful cut about his slow recovery from body dysmorphia. There are still shades of his early work here, but importantly there is love where there was once hate.

The crowning jewel in the tracklisting is the stellar, 80s-inspired anthem “On The Floor”, on which Hadreas portrays a crush-turned-obsession and his struggle to leave it behind. Funky guitars couple with a thick bassline to form perhaps the most danceable track here. Eventually, the clouds part and the instrumental gives way to a simple synth backing as Hadreas cries “take this wildness away”. It’s just another stunning moment in a record filled to the brim with them.

Much of the credit for those should go to long-time collaborator Blake Mills, who manages to accentuate Hadreas’ characteristically versatile vocals with rich, layered instrumentation throughout. From the crunching guitars of “Describe” to the gorgeous strings of “Borrowed Light”, his extensive sonic palette provides the framework for Hadreas’ songcraft to shine through.

However, with such an eclectic mix of musical styles, it was almost inevitable that not every idea would come off as intended. “Moonbend”, a lyrically opaque track that Hadreas described as being “like a spell”, is undoubtedly interesting on a conceptual level. Sadly, the instrumental is simply too sparse to fill the void created by its near-whispered vocal delivery. At 5 minutes and 22 seconds, it’s the longest track on the album - and it certainly feels like it.

Nevertheless, “Set My Heart on Fire Immediately” demonstrates Hadreas’ remarkable growth both as a person and as a musician. From start to finish, the level of emotional intimacy is genuinely astounding - as listeners, we’re given a fascinating window into the depths of his psyche. This is Perfume Genius more adventurous, more intimate, and more life-affirming than ever before. It might just be his best work yet. 


Listen to ‘Set My Heart On Fire Immediately’ on Spotify or Apple Music.