Elvis Perkins - Ash Wednesday

There seems to be no way of separating the tragic events that surround the basis of this, the debut album from Elvis Perkins. Growing up with such famous parents as actor Anthony Perkins - who played the lead role in Psycho - and photographer Berry Berenson, would lead you to have a slightly skewed world view. Unfortunately for Perkins, it's the passing of both parents - first his father to an AIDS related illness and then his mother who was a passenger in one of the planes that struck the World Trade Centre on September 11th - which appears to have formed the basis of these songs.

Unflinching poetic lyrics underplayed by a sparse arrangement and folk guitar allow Perkins' voice - which has more than a hint of Rufus Wainwright and Jeff Buckley to it - to guide us through his dreamlike world. There is a melancholy in his voice that resonates with the heartfelt soul of someone who has truly felt the pain that such a story would render. His songs speak of both loss but also of a rekindling desire to carry on. There's an optimism that is truly uplifting and while this seems partly like a cathartic exercise for Perkins, it is also a joy to listen to. [Garry Thomson]