Ethel Cain: Perverts: Music Album Review
Ethel Cain: Perverts: Music Album Review
An Uncompromising Journey Through Dark Sonic Territories
TL;DR: Bottom Line Up Front
Perverts stands as Ethel Cain’s boldest artistic statement yet—a challenging 90-minute exploration that deliberately alienates casual listeners while rewarding those brave enough to venture into its dark, experimental territories. This isn’t the follow-up fans expected after Preacher’s Daughter, but it’s precisely the artistic evolution that establishes Cain as one of contemporary music’s most fearless visionaries.
Introduction: The Artist’s Defiant Evolution
When Hayden Anhedönia released Preacher’s Daughter in 2022 under her Ethel Cain moniker, she crafted one of the decade’s most obsessed-over albums. The Southern Gothic masterpiece launched her from underground darling to mainstream recognition, complete with Barack Obama’s favorite songs list that year. However, with Perverts, Cain has made it clear that commercial appeal was never her endgame.
Released on January 8, 2025, through her own Daughters of Cain label, Perverts represents a radical departure from everything that made her accessible. This isn’t merely an album—Cain herself insists it’s “not an album, though it is 90 minutes”—but rather an uncompromising artistic statement that challenges every expectation.
Sonic Landscape: A Descent Into Beautiful Darkness
Genre-Defying Experimentation
Perverts operates primarily in the realms of:
• Drone and dark ambient – Creating immersive, often uncomfortable soundscapes • Slowcore influences – Drawing comparisons to Aphex Twin and the slowcore work of Low • Power electronics and noise – Pushing boundaries of conventional music structure • Lo-fi industrial elements – Maintaining Cain’s signature aesthetic while exploring new territories
The album’s sonic foundation rests on field recordings of the water rushing past Three Sisters Island in New York, next to Niagara Falls, which Cain recorded herself. This organic base layer creates an otherworldly atmosphere that permeates every track.
Production Philosophy
Cain wrote, recorded, and produced Perverts entirely herself in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, and Tallahassee, Florida, during 2024. The lo-fi, slow, and experimental production reflects her commitment to maintaining complete creative control over this deeply personal project.
Track-by-Track Analysis: Nine Chapters of Uncomfortable Truth
1. “Perverts” (Title Track) – 12 minutes
Opening with a creaking, disintegrating recording of the 19th century hymn “Nearer, My God, To Thee”, the title track immediately establishes the album’s uneasy relationship between sacred and profane. The track’s central proclamation—”Heaven has forsaken the masturbator”—sets the thematic tone for everything that follows.
Key Elements: • Distorted hymnal samples • Ominous synthesizer work
• Religious imagery subversion • Extended ambient passages
2. “Punish” – 6 minutes 47 seconds
The album’s sole single, “Punish” serves as a bridge between Perverts and Preacher’s Daughter. Built around a simple, descending piano progression similar to the one at the center of Aldous Harding’s “Horizon,” it eventually builds to a crushing shoegaze climax.
Lyrically, Cain has described it as exploring themes of self-destruction and shame, though she maintains that “The song can be whatever you want it to be.”
3. “Housofpsychoticwomn” – 13 minutes
Perhaps the album’s most challenging piece, this track repeats the phrase “I love you” until it dissolves into meaninglessness. The extended runtime tests listener patience while exploring how repetition can transform meaning into pure sound.
4. “Vacillator” – 7 minutes 45 seconds
Featuring one of the few clearly discernible lyrical refrains—”If you love me, keep it to yourself”—this nearly eight-minute composition continues the album’s exploration of shame and isolation.
5. “Onanist” – 6 minutes 24 seconds
Gentle piano is clouded by grainy static that is then devoured by pained vocals caught in a poor radio frequency, creating one of the album’s most emotionally devastating moments.
6. “Pulldrone” – 15 minutes
The album’s most ambitious undertaking, built around the ancient-sounding hum of a hurdy-gurdy. This quarter-hour journey demands complete listener commitment and serves as the album’s philosophical centerpiece, where Anhedönia recites her “12 pillars of simulacrum” philosophy.
7. “Etienne” – 8 minutes 44 seconds
Offering brief respite, “Etienne” incorporates more familiar elements like guitar strums while maintaining the album’s experimental edge through a mix that’s draped with warble and hiss.
8. “Thatorchia”
A continuation of the album’s drone explorations, featuring guitar wall reminiscent of ’90s shoegaze band Lovesliescrushing.
9. “Amber Waves” (Closing Track)
The album’s most conventionally structured piece, “Amber Waves” comes closest to fulfilling the somewhat less complicated pleasures of Preacher’s Daughter. It provides a crucial release valve after the preceding 80 minutes of intensity.
Thematic Depth: More Than Musical Provocation
Religious Subversion and Spiritual Crisis
Perverts continues Cain’s examination of Southern Baptist Christianity while pushing into more explicitly transgressive territory. The album’s title and central themes explore ways of perversion, not merely in sexual terms but as broader examinations of societal deviance and spiritual alienation.
The Consequence of Audience
Cain accompanied the album with a allegorical text titled “The Consequence of Audience,” which compared with Cain’s statement about an “irony epidemic”, in which she criticized fans’ memes inspired by songs from her debut album. This context illuminates Perverts as partially a response to unwanted mainstream attention and fan behavior.
Philosophical Underpinnings
The album explores humanity’s desire to touch god and ultimate inability to reach enlightenment, positioning spiritual seeking as both potentially transcendent and self-destructive.
Critical Reception: Polarizing by Design
Professional Critical Response
Perverts has received widespread critical acclaim for its artistic ambition, earning a weighted mean of 76 based on 21 critics’ reviews on Metacritic, indicating “generally favorable” reception.
Notable Critical Perspectives:
• The Guardian’s Alexis Petridis observed that the project succeeded if Cain wanted to “scale down her fanbase” • Pitchfork’s Sasha Geffen praised Cain’s vocal work, noting how “it scrapes off the lacquer that clung to it on earlier releases” • Stereogum described it as possessing “a coarse kind of beauty”
Fan Response: The Great Divide
The album has created a clear division within Cain’s fanbase. Cain has asked her fans to go on a disturbing, difficult journey with this record. It’s on you to decide if you’re going on the journey or will be left behind on this one.
Long-time supporters have embraced the artistic evolution, while newer fans drawn to hits like “American Teenager” may find themselves challenged beyond their comfort zones.
Cultural Impact: Art Over Commerce
A Statement on Artistic Integrity
In an era where musicians often feel pressured to replicate successful formulas, Perverts stands as a defiant statement about artistic evolution. Cain’s willingness to potentially alienate her growing fanbase demonstrates a rare commitment to creative growth over commercial considerations.
Influence on Contemporary Music
The album’s bold experimentation may inspire other artists to pursue more challenging directions, particularly those feeling constrained by early commercial success. When considering broader market trends, including discussions around financial planning for artists, Perverts represents the kind of creative risk-taking that can define long-term artistic careers.
Setting New Standards for Artistic Courage
Perverts has already been positioned as an early contender for 2025’s most challenging release, setting a high bar for artistic ambition that other musicians will struggle to match.
Technical Excellence: Craftsmanship in Chaos
Production Values
Despite its experimental nature, Perverts demonstrates meticulous attention to sonic detail. Every drone, ambient passage, and distorted element serves the album’s larger artistic vision.
Dynamic Range and Spatial Awareness
The album’s use of stereo field and dynamic contrasts creates an immersive experience that rewards high-quality listening equipment while remaining effective on modest setups.
Instrumental Innovation
Cain’s incorporation of unconventional instruments like the hurdy-gurdy alongside her field recordings and synthesizer work showcases genuine innovation in contemporary music production.
Comparative Analysis: Evolution and Context
Relationship to Preacher’s Daughter
While Perverts shares DNA with its predecessor through themes of religious trauma and American Gothic imagery, it operates in entirely different sonic territories. Where Preacher’s Daughter offered moments of conventional beauty, Perverts commits fully to its challenging aesthetic.
Contemporary Comparisons
The album finds kinship with experimental works by artists like:
• Godspeed You! Black Emperor – Epic, building compositions • Mount Eerie – Lo-fi experimental folk approaches
• Kristin Hayter (Lingua Ignota) – Religious themes meets extreme music • Swans – Extended compositions and intensity
Historical Context
Perverts positions itself within the tradition of difficult second albums that prioritize artistic growth over commercial expectations, joining ranks with classics like Kid A, In Utero, and The Seer.
Listening Recommendations: How to Approach This Beast
For First-Time Listeners:
- Set aside uninterrupted time – Perverts demands attention and patience
- Use quality headphones or speakers – The album’s subtle details reward careful listening
- Approach with open expectations – Don’t expect another Preacher’s Daughter
- Consider multiple sessions – The 90-minute runtime can be overwhelming in one sitting
For Returning Listeners:
• Focus on different sonic layers during subsequent plays • Pay attention to the album’s emotional arc across its nine tracks
• Consider the relationship between the more accessible tracks and experimental pieces • Explore the accompanying “Consequence of Audience” text for additional context
Final Verdict: A Masterpiece of Uncomfortable Truth
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Perverts succeeds as both artistic statement and challenging listening experience. While it may not achieve the widespread appeal of Preacher’s Daughter, it establishes Ethel Cain as an artist unwilling to be confined by commercial expectations or fan demands.
Strengths:
• Uncompromising artistic vision that never wavers • Exceptional production values despite experimental nature
• Thematic depth that rewards careful analysis • Sonic innovation that pushes contemporary music boundaries • Emotional impact that lingers long after listening
Considerations:
• Extreme accessibility barriers that will alienate casual listeners • Demanding runtime that requires significant time investment • Limited commercial appeal compared to previous work • Challenging sonic palette that may test patience
The Bottom Line: Essential for the Brave
Perverts represents everything modern music often lacks: genuine artistic risk-taking, uncompromising creative vision, and complete disregard for commercial expectations. While it may not be the album many wanted, it’s precisely the statement Ethel Cain needed to make.
For those willing to embrace its challenges, Perverts offers rewards that few contemporary albums can match. It’s uncomfortable, demanding, and occasionally overwhelming—exactly as intended. In a musical landscape increasingly dominated by algorithm-friendly accessibility, Cain has delivered a work of genuine artistic courage.
This isn’t an album for everyone, but for those it speaks to, Perverts will likely be remembered as a defining work of the 2020s. It’s a testament to the power of uncompromising artistic vision and a reminder that the best art often comes from the most challenging places.
Recommended for: Fans of experimental music, drone and ambient enthusiasts, listeners seeking challenging artistic experiences, supporters of uncompromising creative vision.
Avoid if: You prefer conventional song structures, need immediate accessibility, or aren’t prepared for an intensive listening experience.
For more insights into the music industry and artist development, explore additional resources at Rolling Stone’s music coverage, which provides comprehensive analysis of contemporary artists and album releases.
Originally posted 2025-03-23 22:37:34.
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