Southern Gothic popstar Ethel Cain’s new record “Perverts” is a nigh impenetrable nine track collection of terrifying dark ambient and drone soundscapes. It is a significant departure from her last record, the critically acclaimed “Preacher’s Daughter” (2022) which was a highly accessible collection of Southern gothic inspired art pop and a personal favourite of mine. The growing mainstream success of “Preacher’s Daughter” endowed her with a lot of support from fans of other more prominent and accessible female artists such as Chapell Roan, Phoebe Bridgers, and Taylor Swift. The reaction from many of the more “normie” fans of hers tended to be very negative due to the challenging sound and more overtly dark lyrical content of the album. In some ways I believe that this was the reaction she hoped for, to alienate the “normies” and fair-weather fans to retain the devotees and true fans of her art.  

Ethel Cain/Album Cover

I must admit, this was a challenging listen even for me and I thoroughly enjoy artists like Sunn O))), Boris, Lustmord, and Natural Snow Buildings, all musicians that inhabit the regions of dark ambient and drone. Upon first playing the record during the evening, the first track titled “Perverts” evoked a powerful sense of dread within me as Ethel’s distorted and muffled vocals whispered through my headphones. The vocals are reminiscent of those that would be heard playing through a decaying stereo system in your great grandmother’s parlor room, as an old gospel record that she picked up at a church rummage sale, spins upon the turntable. Then, we are met with silence and a muffled voice whispering “Heaven has forsaken the masturbator” and “Fast, reckless driving often leads to slow, sad music”, along with other noises that were very difficult to make out. At this point, I turned it off as the night enhanced the unsettling vibes of the music which put me on the verge of a fit of panic. I recommend that any potential listeners do the same if they are planning on listening to the record at night as this monolith is one that is best conquered when the sun is out.  

My next attempt at listening to the record was far more fruitful as I listened to it on a country drive. The setting enhanced the listening experience in a much more positive way as much of Ethel’s music focuses on rural Appalachia, which bears a striking resemblance to areas in the New Brunswick countryside such as that between Saint John and Sussex. This is not to say that the music itself bears a positive appearance, in fact it remains extremely dreary throughout the album. The remainder of the album after the title track is a pilgrimage through punishing yet meditative soundscapes. Ethel’s vocals can be heard throughout the record, at times in the forefront such as on the track “Punish” and in a more familiar crooning style on the tracks “Vacillator” and on the tail end of the record in “Amber Waves”. On the other tracks, her vocals seem to swim through the miasmic ambience, like a phantom wailing in the hungering darkness.  

Even though this record is extremely unsettling and difficult to listen to, I believe that even those who lack experience with experimental music should give it a listen nonetheless, just to see what happens, it may surprise you (in a good way). I recommend that the prospective listener first listen to “Preacher’s Daughter” before listening to this record, so as to gain a grasp on the themes within Ethel’s work, in case one is unfamiliar. Then, when one is ready to check out “Perverts”, seek out an entry point in the song Vacillator as I view that track as the most accessible track on the album due to its similarity to her past work. But, I would advise against listening to other tracks in isolation as I feel that this album works best when consumed as a unified whole, this is not the kind of album whose songs can be picked out and placed into a playlist.  

I have hardly anything negative to say of this album, other than it’s disturbing sound nearly gave me a panic attack on my first listen. Though, this album seems to exist in the same space as works such as the film Requiem for a Dream or the novel American Psycho, works of art that may be amazing and profound, but most would rather not take another crack at them after the first watch/read/listen. I listened to this album several times and now I never want to listen to it again, as it made me experience feelings that I would rather not experience again. But, to me, that is what makes works of art such as “Perverts” so profound. These works evoke such strong feelings of fear, disgust, pity, sadness, etc. that it manifests in a visceral manner within those who bear witness to its contents. That is the ultimate goal of art in my mind, to make the individual who consumes it feel something.  

9/10