For all of the exhausting intimacy and timely political discourse surrounding the sophomore Perfume Genius record, Put Your Back N 2 It, it's worth pausing to note that Mike Hadreas has an exceptional knack for songcraft, period. The poignant, full-band "Hood" is Hadreas at his most melodic, and in two minutes, he articualtes a specific, resonant feeling of bittersweet self-realization: "You would never call me baby, if you knew me true." Hadreas delivers this concession with an air of lyrical optimism that is matched by the song's sonic warmth and comparatively strong instrumental build, suspending a soft tension and honest emotional purity throughout. Recent years have seen more than a few male singers sitting at pianos, using strong and singular vocals to attempt at tapping into something new and true, but Hadreas does this better than most. And to that, "Hood" is an accessible and succinct testament.

[from Put Your Back N 2 It; out now via Matador]