Heartbreak Sans Hotel

A few months back I started seeing reviews everywhere for this singer songwriter whom I had never heard of before. And not just the usual music magazines I peruse, but in such literary gems as People. I find it difficult to gage whether I'm going to like a musician from reading something about them so I don't usually read reviews of artists with whom I'm not already familiar but after seeing his name in bold type for the fifth time I decided to bite.



Thank God I did.

Having lost both of his parents to tragedy (father, actor Anthony Perkins, died of AIDS complicated illness in 1992 and his mother, photographer Berry Berenson was a passenger on AA flight 11 which crashed into the World Trade Center on 9-11-01) it's no wonder Elvis Perkins' debut Ash Wednesday lingers somewhere between promise and despair. His voice reads a bit like Colin Meloy (of the Decemberists) or David Gray. At its most dramatic it even resembles Rufus Wainwright. But then I don't think its fair to compare him to his peers. This album makes me feel like no other has as of late. The songs themselves are thoughtful pieces of personal misfortune, humming on the edge of heartbreak and hope. Straining a bit for the silver lining in an otherwise grey sky. This album is one of my top picks for 2007 and I seriously recommend you give a listen! If you like the tracks below go out and buy the album, it's truly wonderful.



Elvis Perkins, Ash Wednesday.

Buy Amazon, iTunes

All highly recommended tracks

While You Were Sleeping

All The Night Without Love

It's Only Me

Enjoy