The new album from Perfect Son, Cast, out tomorrow on Sub Pop, is the sort of record that reveals its emotional depth through perfectly-crafted bits of somewhat-stark electro-pop. Tobiasz Biliński, formerly of Coldair, is the guy behind Perfect Son and he's mastered this sort of thing already, even as Cast finds Perfect Son making new strides in the form.
A number like "Lust", and especially "It's For Life". sees Biliński couch his warm vocals in a setting that recalls Nineties Depeche Mode, for lack of a better comparison point, even as "High Hopes" suggests something with a bit more soul. While lots of this is what I'd peg as electro-pop, Perfect Son are really creating a new spin on the formulas here, with lots of Cast pointing out a new way to blend souful vocals with icy textures. If the hooky "Old Desires" is nearly retro in its deliberateness, the quietly-cathartic "So Divine" is oddly lush. Perfect Son finds a way to imbue this rather simple stuff with a strange sort of power, such that a listener feels like something new is being heard, even as so many pieces echo the pioneers of the past.
Cast by Perfect Son is out now via Sub Pop.
More details on Perfect Son via the official Facebook page.
[Photo: Weronika Izdebska]