Talk about a surprise! I never would have guessed that one of the highlights of this June's busy release schedule was going to be a new album from the leader of The Only Ones. But, yes, Peter Perrett is back with Humanworld, out today via Domino. Full of smart, sharply-etched post-punk, this is a record that I highly recommend.
"I Want Your Dreams" and "Believe in Nothing" are direct and brash blasts of the sort of rough-edged rock that confirms that Peter Perrett has still got the fire in him that he had during the heyday of The Only Ones. Elsewhere, "The Power is in You" and "Once is Enough" take things down a notch, the mid-tempo numbers allowing Perrett room to navigate the sort of territory usually covered by Graham Parker and Wreckless Eric. The tunes here on Humanworld are uniformly bracing, with Peter favoring a sort of unpolished sound here that does a lot to throw the focus on his voice and guitar-playing. Still, there are at least a few moments here ("Walking in Berlin", "Love's Inferno") that indicate Perrett's skills at making some tunes that don't sound so much like those of The Only Ones. But even saying that, I think the album will appeal to more than just fans of that seminal punk band.
Humanworld is out today via Domino.
More details on Peter Perrett via his official Facebook page, or his official website.
[Photo: Steve Gullick]