On Jan. 8, singer-songwriter and record producer Hayden Silas Anhedönia, better known as Ethel Cain, released her EP “Perverts.” Made up of only nine songs, “Perverts” has a run time of 89 minutes and 20 seconds. Much of the EP is lyricless drone music, haunting harmonies and ambient sound.
Anhedönia has been releasing music under the Ethel Cain alias since her 2019 EP “Carpet Bed.” However, it was not until 2022 that she surged in popularity after releasing her conceptual album “Preacher’s Daughter.” Anhedönia is known to align herself with the macabre, as her music covers topics like religious trauma, sexual abuse and the outcasts of society.
Thematically, as the title suggests, the EP is meant to explore the topic of perversion and those deemed perverted. Sophie Lawrence, senior philosophy major, has been a Cain fan for around two years after hearing the song “American Teenager” off the “Preacher’s Daughter” album. What originally drew her to Ethel Cain was her ability to tell a story — a tradition that “Perverts” continues.
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“I got the impression that she’s doing exactly what she says with the title and exploring societal outcasts,” Lawrence said. “I know she referenced a couple of figures who were accused of or convicted of sexual perversion. But then I know some of it is stuff that may be considered more perverse than it actually is, like masturbation and stuff like that. I think the title speaks for itself.”
Although “Perverts” does not differ from “Preacher’s Daughter” in its dark themes, the EP does differ in its genre. Jack Jones, first-year environmental studies and sociology double-major, acknowledged that many Cain fans may be alienated by the EP’s pull away from lyric-heavy songs. Nevertheless, he said that the EP is a worthwhile listening experience once one overcomes the initial change in genre.
“I would say it’s a very visceral listening experience. It’s very tense. And I would say if you’re not really familiar with drone or ambient style rock, it’s definitely going to be really new to you, but it’s really cool, and it puts you in a different space than you were before you listened to it,” Jones said. “It makes you think, it’s very provocative, and I know for some people that’s not their cup of tea, but I really like music that’s provocative and in your face and disruptive.”
As for the future of Anhedönia’s music, Ava McAlister, senior communication major, predicts that “Perverts” will not be the last departure from the “Preacher’s Daughter” era of her music. However, McAlister said that Anhedönia’s music will continue to circulate on social media, and her steadfast fans will continue to listen regardless of her musical direction.
“I think it will definitely keep running in the direction it’s going in. I think it will start to get even more niche, especially as more people discover her,” McAlister said. “If the next album is even more niche, then the people who are already interested in her will continue to listen.”