The first time I tried to listen to Perverts, I didn’t quite know what I was getting myself into. I quickly realised it was something that demanded my full, undivided attention. Although officially an EP, it stretches to an hour and a half across nine tracks. The shortest, Onanist, is 6:24, while the longest, Pulldrone, clocks in at 15:14. This project marks a stark departure from Ethel’s previous album, Preacher’s Daughter.
Ethel made it clear on social media that this release would be a departure. She wanted to create art that resonated with her passions, not what others might expect. Over the past few years, she’s uploaded ambient music to SoundCloud, spoken about her desire to make a fully ambient project, and expressed her love for drone music. So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that this project is largely ambient and unmistakably drone like. Still, after hearing Amber Waves live in 2023, I can’t help but feel I was expecting something entirely different.
The EP opens with its title track, plunging listeners into the haunting, otherworldly soundscape Ethel has created. It feels like stepping into a dream, or perhaps a nightmare. The song features sparse lyrics, with Ethel’s voice seeming to drift behind the music rather than sitting on top of it, like a ghostly whisper designed to unsettle. The next track, Punish, feels more familiar, with a stronger lyrical presence. Yet even here, the atmosphere remains unsettling. The song reframes love as a source of torment rather than joy, with the repeated line, “I am punished by love,” driving home the idea that love inevitably brings suffering.
Housofpsychoticwomn begins with more repetition, the line “I love you” over and over again feels almost chant like, obsessive. A high pitched drone hums in the background for the entire 13 minutes, layered with synths and a sound reminiscent of wind rushing past your ears as if you were spinning in circles. As the song progresses Ethel’s words feel less like lyrics and more like a stream of consciousness, at one point she says “such a wondrous and painful thing to be loved”, again reiterating that love and suffering are intertwined.
For the first two minutes of Vacillator the drums take centre stage, with a slow, ominous beat that evokes the mood of a horror film. Continuing the theme of love as a source of pain, the song ends with Ethel almost pleading “if you love me, keep it to yourself.” Onanist highlights a haunting piano melody whilst Pulldrone begins as a spoken word piece that almost feels like a prayer, concluding with the word “amen.” The remainder of the track shifts back to the EP’s droning soundscape, resembling the mechanical hum of a blender or the distant roar of planes overhead.
Etienne introduces a shift in tone, the soft piano offers a sense of comfort and lightness that feels almost hopeful compared to what we’ve heard so far. The lyrics tell a story of a man who decides to end his life, but in the process, discovers he wants to live. It’s fitting that this track brings a change from feelings of unease and fear to a feeling of solace. However, soon as Thatorchia begins, the uneasiness returns. Distorted guitars and synths reintroduce the tension that defined earlier tracks.
Amber Waves serves as a poignant closer, encapsulating the record’s emotional depth. It’s an exploration of heartache and survival, the repetition of “I’ll be alright” offering reassurance. Despite the pain love can bring, a theme woven throughout the album, it reminds us that everything will eventually be okay. A beautiful goodbye to an an album that lingers long after the final note fades.
Perverts feels less like an album and more like an immersive experience. It’s not something I’ll reach for daily, but as a piece of art, it’s hauntingly beautiful. It demonstrates Ethel’s fearlessness in experimentation and her remarkable ability to construct vivid worlds within her projects. While it may not be for everyone, there’s no denying it’s an incredible piece of work.