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Ethel Cain’s “Perverts” succeeds in its intention, but drones on needlessly
On her new EP, “Perverts,” artist Ethel Cain leaves behind the cannibalized character from her debut album and ventures into themes of eroticism and pleasure with a new, darker sound.
The one-hour and 15-minute sonic story of Cain’s debut studio album, “Preacher’s Daughter,” is renowned by critics and indie pop/rock fans alike, beloved for the album’s epic, lengthy ballads of escape, love, and longing. The album is conceptual, meaning the stories are mostly fictional, but they draw inspiration from the singer’s personal life. With the presumed death of her character in the album’s last song, “Strangers,” it was unclear what the artist behind the persona — Hayden Anhedönia — would do next.
The album’s successor, “Perverts,” was released on Jan. 8, 2025. In this EP, Cain experiments with a new musical direction through her use of drone music — a genre with sustained tones used to create ambient soundscapes. Although described by many social media users as “inaccessible” and “scary,” Cain explained on her Tumblr that the intention behind the nine-song EP was not to scare listeners, but to merely express feelings of eroticism.
I will admit that I went into my first listen of “Perverts” without ever hearing drone music before, and did not quite anticipate it to be my style. As a self-proclaimed enjoyer of music no matter the genre, I was still optimistic that the foreign sound would pleasantly surprise me.
“Perverts,” both the title of the project and its opening track, directly announces to listeners the music’s main theme: perversion. The titular track opens with Cain’s slightly distorted voice singing part of a Christian hymn, “Nearer, My God, to Thee.” The vocal effects on this hymn create a hauntingly beautiful sound, as if twin dolls were singing in the climax of a horror movie. While the first minute of the song is fascinating, the remaining 11 minutes are filled with drone sounds and faint lyrics that are too dull to be unique and too monotonous to be interesting.
A clear highlight of the EP is the second song, “Punish,” previously released on Nov. 1, 2024 as the project’s lead single. A more melodic and lyrical track, the song is a standout of the EP. With the repeated line, “I am punished by love,” and the emotive electric guitar chords after the second verse, the song makes me want to lie on the floor, stare at the ceiling, and let into my mind all the beautiful anguish that the song inflicts.
The drone sound comes back for track three, “Houseofpsychoticwomn,” in a repeated, swelling pattern of sirens, wind, and a sound akin to a dog barking. Although this song has minimal melodic and lyrical moments, the instrumentals are more varied and interesting compared to the title track. The next song, “Vacillator,” is a simple and pretty song guided mainly by its bare drums, with honest, impactful lyrics such as “If you love me, keep it to yourself” and “You won’t lose me to thunder or lightning, but you could to crowded rooms.” For the last 10 minutes of the 15-minute long sixth track, “Pulldrone,” the boring drone sound recurs — this time like a razor or distant lawn-mower, buzzing on and on until the song finally concludes.
It is when listening to songs like “Pulldrone” that I understand other listeners’ aversion to the EP, although I don’t feel the same. Instead of horror or apprehension, I am more confused by the sonic choices. The songs from “Perverts” rarely incorporate elements that follow traditional pop or rock norms, so each song surprises me and leaves me with many questions when listening. Will Cain start singing again? Is this annoying white noise ever going to end? What could the song possibly need 10 more minutes for?
“Amber Waves” is one of the few songs for which I do not have any complaints. The lyrics about addiction are self-contained and heartbreaking, with heavy hitters such as “Is it not fun to feel many other ways?” After her beautiful melodies, Cain lets her drone sound rightfully stand alone for the last few minutes — this being one of the few times it adds something good to a song.
I do think Cain is successful in what she set out to do — to make a drone project consisting of unrelated stories connected by their sound and themes. “I just really like drone music and wanted to make some,” she said on Tumblr.
Ultimately, I appreciated the chance to be introduced to the genre of drone music, but I cannot say I liked “Perverts” very much. The project did not deliver the emotion and timid power that I knew and expected from “Preacher’s Daughter,” save the standouts “Punish” and “Amber Waves.” It’s hard not to be hyperaware of the length of each song, as much of the sound within them feels static, making listeners wait and wait to hear something engaging.
However, I would still recommend giving the EP, and drone music, a chance — it is always worthwhile to listen to a new type of music. Although if, after the first four songs, you aren’t feeling the drone sound, like me, you can skip to “Amber Waves” and save yourself from the monotonous droning of the remaining 30 or so minutes.