Ash Wednesday

Elvis Perkins

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 20, 2007)
• Original Release Date: February 20, 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Xl Recordings
• ASIN: B000M06KBQ
• Also Available in: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #7,573 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

His smart and likable songs might be crammed with writerly details, but it's Elvis Perkins's voice that you notice and cling to, especially the way he pulls at the syllables. It's difficult not to term his music "dreamy" and this low-key, assured, and excellent debut recalls David Gray (if Gray were a lot less Hallmark-y). Perkins matches the crooning, knowing delivery and half-ironic lyrics of Rufus Wainwright with the visionary vocal gymnastics and love of obscure embellishments (circus/ marching band music plus singing saw, on the first song alone) of Jeff Mangum--the Neutral Milk Hotel singer who's been the influence du jour for a few years now. Perkins's worldview would seem to be revealed in the song title "It's a Sad World After All." But these aren't cry-baby numbers, and Perkins isn't going for the title of emo prince; he doesn't wear his eyeliner big and deep enough to be seen in the last row of the stadium. The songs are folky, pretty, and character-driven: like some wonderful, imagined collaboration between Donovan and Leonard Cohen. --Mike McGonigal

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Stunning Debut, April 7, 2007

By	warzoo - See all my reviews

It seems impossible for me to come up with one negative thing to say about this album. It is fantastic. I bought it basically on a whim, not knowing who he was aside from a brief interview I read, not hearing but a small clip of his music. I do this sort of thing all the time with varying degrees of success; but sometimes you just get lucky. For me, this isn't just a good cd that I will enjoy from time to time, but rather the kind I will be listening to non-stop for a good couple of months. The melodies are beautiful and the lyrics are intelligent. Though the themes are heavy at times, this is not a bleak album.

I hate to compare artists but the Donovan meets Cohen comparison is pretty spot-on with a little Rufus Wainwright and Nick Drake tossed in. But rather than comparing him to David Gray (as the Amazon review did), I would much sooner put him in the Badly Drawn Boy category. Above all though, he is a unique voice and has created a stunning debut album. I would recommend Ash Wednesday to anyone who seeks out great music.

Here's to hoping Elvis Perkins will be making great music for years to come.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent., August 1, 2007

By	Mr. R. J. Davidson (Edinburgh, Scotland. UK) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

We had to wait some time for his debut album that took seven years to perfect, but perfect it he did.
The tragic family history - father was Psycho Psycho (Collector's Edition) actor Anthony Perkins, who died of an Aids-related illness in 1992, while his mother died almost a decade later in the 2001 World Trade Center attacks - drapes itself over the songs without sounding too melancholy.
"While You Were Sleeping" is lullaby loveliness and during "Emile's Vietnam In The Sky" he insists "take better care of your heart".
This is the album to do just that and if you don't adore it, you didn't have a heart to start with.
Perkins is unwillling to admit his debut album is informed by some tragic pivate pivotal events. 'I don't want anyone to think that the songs are autobiographical,' he told an American journalist in March. This, unquestionably, is disingenuous: quite apart from the title itself - 9/11 was a Tuesday - "Ash Wednesday" is awash with references to loss, whether it's the anguished howl of the title track ('No one will survive Ash Wednesday alive/ No soldier, no lover, no sister, no brother') or the self-explanatory "It's a Sad World After All". "Stay if you want/ There is enough sadness for the both of us", sings Perkins, the soul of a blues crooner circa 1930 encased within the torso of a 31-year-old.
It would be perverse to avoid mention of Elvis Perkins's biography, however much the singer/songwriter might protest that it hasn't directly informed thisalbum.
"Ash Wednesday" is forged from a bleak, brittle desolation that can sometimes make these drowsily atmospheric folky songs feel top-heavy.
Still, this unashamed melancholia reaps great rewards on tracks such as "Moon Woman II" and "Emile's Vietnam In The Sky", while unexpected flavours such as the bongos, percussion and fiddles on "All The Night Without Love" and the lovely liquid chords of "The Night And The Liquor" leaven an atmosphere that can verge a bit on the oppressive.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, touching, inspiring music, May 8, 2007

By	Connie L. Shaw (Lafayette, CO USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is the most moving music I've heard in a very long time. Brilliant songwriting, heartfelt singing, interesting instrumentation. A feeling of wonder and even joy shines through these songs, despite the underlying sadness. This is an unbeatable combination that engages my deepest feelings. I can't wait for the next Elvis Perkins cd.