by Torrey Proto
Reckless Connecticut art punk trio Perennial have long been one of the state’s most electrifying live acts and best kept secrets. You can catch them ripping through short but captivating sets on eclectic bills at any number of the state’s various D.I.Y. venues. Their well-honed sound is as varied as they come with references as wide ranging as The Blood Brothers, Stereolab, to avante-garde jazz legend Don Cherry. On their new album In the Midnight Hour (self-released on vinyl and CD with CT institution Redscroll Records putting out tapes), Perennial blend their influences in surprising ways to create a manic world all their own.
The record’s first single “Perennial in a Haunted House” is a spirited call to action that rails against privilege and apathy. It immediately stands out as a track that could really get the crowd going in a live setting. Vocalists Chelsey Hahn (organ) and Chad Jewett (guitar) trade off scathing verses wrapped in feedback and barbwire with lines like “rich girls who howl at the moon, man / rich boys who don’t have no use, man.” The two singers dial up the sass factor on each alternating verse with drummer Wil Mulhern’s ceaseless energy providing a needed backbone to hold things in place. His danceable beats manage to bridge the gap between the ferocity of punk and the band’s more playful side. Perennial’s second full length delivers on the promise of their already outstanding debut with endless amounts of passion, will power, and weirdo punk energy and deserves to be blasted on repeat at full volume.