Hayden Silas Anhedönia, better known as Ethel Cain, is an icon. Her 2022 debut album, Preacher’s Daughter, was both a critical and commercial success, amassing her a cult following and much anticipation for a second release. 

To say that Perverts defied expectations is a huge understatement. Critics have largely described the album as a “difficult” listen, in stark contrast to Preacher’s Daughter.

To me, the most interesting thing to come out of the discourse surrounding Perverts is the notion of a “fandom cleanse.” On social media platforms such as TikTok, some fans have alleged that this latest release from Cain was an attempt to filter out “real” fans from the supposedly “fake” fans, many of whom became familiar with Cain’s work after Preacher’s Daughter.

Either way, I personally found this album to be very enjoyable. Although it is certainly not similar to Cain’s previous release, it has many of its own merits. The singer’s inspirations are different and mysterious, such as the case of a man infatuated with power plants. Indeed, listening to Perverts does feel like a haunting experience, as if I were stuck in an abandoned Brutalist structure.

Clearly, no matter what you might think, this album has made its mark and is worth a listen.