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Too Bright

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Too Bright
Studio album by
Perfume Genius
ReleasedSeptember 23, 2014 (2014-09-23)
Genre
Length33:38
LabelMatador
ProducerAdrian Utley and Ali Chant
Perfume Genius chronology
Put Your Back N 2 It
(2012) 		Too Bright
(2014) 		No Shape
(2017)
Singles from Too Bright
  1. "Queen"
    Released: 17 July 2014
  2. "Grid"
    Released: 9 September 2014

Too Bright is the third album by American singer Perfume Genius, released on September 23, 2014.

The album reached number 77 on the UK albums chart and peaked at number 83 in the United States Billboard 200.

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?8.4/10[5]
Metacritic87/100[6]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[7]
The A.V. ClubA−[8]
Entertainment WeeklyA−[9]
The Guardian[10]
Mojo[11]
NME8/10[12]
Pitchfork8.5/10[13]
Q[14]
Rolling Stone[15]
Wondering Sound[16]

Too Bright has received critical acclaim. Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, gave the album an average score of 87, which indicates "universal acclaim".[6]

Brandon Stosuy of Pitchfork gave the album a very positive review, stating, "A huge part of what makes the work so strong is the generous human spirit that bleeds into it, and Too Bright is the best example to date of the lengths he goes to confront his fears and demons. These songs feel less like songs and more like treasures, ones that fill you with power and wisdom, and as a result, Too Bright seems capable of resonating with, comforting, and moving anyone who's ever felt alienated, discriminated against, or "other-ized," regardless of sexual orientation." The album was given a score of 8.5 and was titled Best New Music.[13]

Artwork

[edit]

The album artwork was shot by Luke Gilford and it showcases an androgynous Perfume Genius. It would encompass a bold and proud theme throughout Too Bright.[17][18][19]

Conception and development

[edit]

In an interview for Refinery29, Perfume Genius said, "I don’t know, for a long time I had been kind of constantly seeking reassurance and acceptance all over the place, and wanting to be taken seriously but waiting for someone else to do it for me, do you know what I mean?.” He explains that this was a more serious approach to making this album. Too Bright further explores topics on sexuality, empowerment, and queer identity.[17][19][20]

Track listing

[edit]
No.TitleLength
1."I Decline"1:58
2."Queen"3:50
3."Fool"3:55
4."No Good"3:49
5."My Body"2:17
6."Don't Let Them In"2:21
7."Grid"2:39
8."Longpig"2:50
9."I'm a Mother"3:30
10."Too Bright"3:25
11."All Along"2:34
Total length:33:38
Too Bright — Bonus Track Version
No.TitleLength
12."Thing"2:55
Too Bright — 10th Anniversary Edition
No.TitleLength
12."Story of Love"2:34
13."My Place"3:00
14."When U Need Someone"3:40

Personnel

[edit]

Main personnel

  • Mike Hadreas – vocals, piano (1, 4, 6, 10), synth (3, 7, 9, 10), keyboards (2, 8), gong (5), handclaps (8), wurlitzer (11), composer, additional recording
  • Adrian Utley – synth (2, 3, 5, 7, 8), bass guitar (2, 3, 5, 11), guitar (1, 11), winebox (5), fuzz bass (7), handclaps (8), engineer, mixing, producer
  • Alan Wyffels – synth (3, 4, 8, 10), keyboards (2, 5), piano (6)
  • Jim Barr – double bass (3, 4, 6)
  • Herve Becart – drums (3, 5, 8)
  • Ross Hughes – bass clarinet (3, 4, 10), saxophone (7)
  • John Parish – drums (2, 7, 8, 11), shaker (5)

Additional personnel

  • Greg Calbi – mastering
  • Ali Chant – engineer, mixing, producer, handclaps (8)
  • Alison Fielding – design
  • Luke Gilford – photography

Charts

[edit]
Chart (2014) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[21] 26
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[22] 64
UK Albums (OCC)[23] 77
US Billboard 200[24] 83
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[25] 19
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[26] 10
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[27] 24

Pop culture

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Smith, Barnaby (November 25, 2014). "Perfume Genius: Too Bright". The Quietus. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
  2. ^ Cataldo, Jesse (September 19, 2014). "Perfume Genius: Too Bright". Slant Magazine. Retrieved September 29, 2014.
  3. ^ Raymond, Max (September 16, 2014). "Perfume Genius – Too Bright". musicOMH. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
  4. ^ "10 Best Albums of 2014". Entertainment Weekly. December 4, 2014. Archived from the original on November 12, 2016. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
  5. ^ "Too Bright by Perfume Genius reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
  6. ^ a b "Reviews for Too Bright by Perfume Genius". Metacritic. Retrieved January 26, 2015.
  7. ^ Phares, Heather. "Too Bright – Perfume Genius". AllMusic. Retrieved September 30, 2014.
  8. ^ Cosores, Philip (September 23, 2014). "On his third album, Perfume Genius proves he can't burn Too Bright". The A.V. Club. Retrieved September 29, 2014.
  9. ^ Raymer, Miles; Anderson, Kyle; Rahman, Ray (September 26, 2014). "Albums: Oct. 3, 2014". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 29, 2014.
  10. ^ Costa, Maddy (September 18, 2014). "Perfume Genius: Too Bright review – hypnotic and nonconformist". The Guardian. Retrieved December 12, 2015.
  11. ^ "Perfume Genius: Too Bright". Mojo (252): 98. November 2014.
  12. ^ Fullerton, Jamie (September 26, 2014). "Perfume Genius – 'Too Bright'". NME. Archived from the original on June 1, 2016. Retrieved September 29, 2014.
  13. ^ a b Stosuy, Brandon (September 23, 2014). "Perfume Genius: Too Bright". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 29, 2014.
  14. ^ "Perfume Genius: Too Bright". Q (340): 116. November 2014.
  15. ^ Weiner, Sophie (September 23, 2014). "Too Bright". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 29, 2014.
  16. ^ Lefebvre, Sam (September 23, 2014). "Perfume Genius, Too Bright". Wondering Sound. Archived from the original on February 24, 2017. Retrieved September 29, 2014.
  17. ^ a b "Perfume Genius, 'Too Bright' (Matador) Review | Wondering Sound". 2017-02-24. Archived from the original on 2017-02-24. Retrieved 2020-03-10.
  18. ^ "The Dots". the-dots.com. Retrieved 2020-03-10.
  19. ^ a b Norris, John. "Perfume Genius' Homosexuality Is Bolder Than Ever". www.refinery29.com. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
  20. ^ Brown, Jacob (23 September 2014). "Perfume Genius Takes His Music to a Defiant New Place With Too Bright". Vogue. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
  21. ^ "Ultratop.be – Perfume Genius – Too Bright" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  22. ^ "Ultratop.be – Perfume Genius – Too Bright" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  23. ^ "Perfume Genius | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  24. ^ "Perfume Genius Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  25. ^ "Perfume Genius Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  26. ^ "Perfume Genius Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  27. ^ "Perfume Genius Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
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