Elvis Perkins
The Doomsday
Release Date: Oct 20, 2009
Genre(s): Rock, Alternative, Singer-Songwriter
Record label: Beggars XL
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Album Review: The Doomsday by Elvis Perkins
Very Good, Based on 4 Critics
Based on rating 7/10
Released seven months after the full-length Elvis Perkins in Dearland, Doomdsay takes its cues from two versions of the titular song. One appears exactly as it did on Dearland, with horn blasts and sprightly kickdrum driving it along, while the other is performed like a spiritual, its former energy slowed down to an elegant, penitent pace. Gospel music pops up throughout some of the disc's strongest moments: the church house harmonies of "Weeping Mary," the funeral-march cadence of "Stay Zombie Stay," the swirling organs in "Gypsy Davy" (a cover of the traditional "Gypsy Laddie").
Based on rating 7/10
The Doomsday EP features two versions of the same song, “Doomsday”, with four other tunes sandwiched between the ostensible dirges. The folk-country songs fill a much larger space than their separate parts suggest. These are the songs that are the essence of rock ‘n’ roll. “Stay Zombie Stay” and “Stop Drop Rock and Roll” combine the country, blues, and African roots that the first instances of rock ‘n’ roll merged.
Based on rating 6.9/10
Elvis Perkins knows how to turn lemons into fine lemonade. For a guy who has found himself saddled with "Next Dylan" baggage and has enough personal tragedy-turned-backstory to potentially swallow his output, he's continued to hammer away at an increasingly sturdy songbook. Earlier this year, Perkins' second full-length, Elvis Perkins in Dearland, found him with a full band at his side, three other guys to propel further his voyages in mortality and universal (though highly personal) woe.
Opinion: Excellent
In an almost entirely majestic move, Elvis Perkins has done everything in his power to remain a centrally focused person. Having lost both of his parents to tragic circumstances, his music’s always prevailed on themes of life and death alike. And while his debut carried a tenderly elegant feel, his newest album, Elvis Perkins in Dearland, is a brisk flush of straight up Americana.