Linda Perhacs is an American psychedelic folk singer, whose album came across my dashboard as I was browsing for new music on Apple Music the other night. I almost immediately saved the album, and am quite excited to give this one a listen. This album, Parallelograms (1970), was Perhacs’ first studio album, and though was generally well-received, failed to garner attention from a commercial point of view. In past decade the album has been reissued by different labels like Mexican Summer, Sundazed Records, and Anthology Recordings. I’m pretty excited to give this one a listen, so with that said I’m going to jump into the music.
“Chimacum Rain” starts out with some really pleasant acoustic guitar that has a really interesting strangeness to it, with Perhacs’ vocals joining in shortly after to add a very delicate to this tune. Oh wow, the falsetto chorus effect of Perhacs’ vocals really add more layers that further add to the delicate quality to the track. Holy smokes, this super interesting low drone comes in from the background as the tune seems to almost space out a bit. Oh wow, this is an extremely pleasant tune, and I’m quite excited for the rest of the album. Great track.
Oh wow, “Paper Mountain Man” gets down with a gritty folksy sound from the guitar almost right away. Holy smokes, this is super tasty. The repeating acoustic guitar line provides a earthy quality that the rest of the soundscape plays off of. Oh wow, the other acoustic guitar line adds some great accentuations and plays really well off of that super flavorful harmonica and Perhacs’ vocals that alternate between a delicate whisper singing sound and a strong, sturdy line as she guides the tune along. Great track.
Oh wow, “Dolphin” adds even more delicate sounds, with Perhacs’ voice at the point reminding me of something along the lines of a Joan Baez or Joni Mitchell, with the acoustic guitar gently gliding along the smooth and innocent still pond-like surface that Perhacs’ voice seems to evoke. Wow, great tune.
“Call of the River” adds a near religious quality to the tune as Perhacs introduces gentle waves of her vocals as a background chorus effect. Holy smokes, this song is really awesome. The deep yet delicate bass notes of the acoustic guitar seem to bounce along with the high notes, nearly serving as a life raft for the listener as you’re beckoned to follow Perhacs’ vocal performance. Wow. The tune almost reminds me of Pink Floyd’s The Endless River (2014). Great track.
Oh wow, “Sandy Toes” seemingly lands you somewhere after the voyage in the previous track, with the smooth groove of the percussion and the delicate plucking of the bass line produce a rhythm section both exotic yet familiar. The acoustic guitar parts create a really nice flowing sound as Perhacs yet again enamors you with her vocal performance. Great track.
“Parallelograms” starts out with a mystical sounding folk guitar part, almost one you’d imagine hearing at the start of a voyage to middle earth. Oh wow, Perhacs’ uses her voice in about 3 or 4 different layers, which blend with other instrumentation like the flute to beckon you along this voyage that is this album. Holy smokes, a super strange drum part suddenly interrupts the flow of the track, after which point you’re teleported to this super exploratory labyrinth of experimental sounds that could be something from a Pink Floyd album. Oh wow, this song is awesome. The original melody picks up after some amount of time in that exploratory territory with seemingly an extra pep. Awesome track.
“Hey, Who Really Cares” has some super interesting acoustic guitar at the beginning, which seems to both have a delicate while very earthy touch to its playing. Oh wow, the instrumentation seems to be feeling out the space made in the soundscape, while Perhacs seems to take you down a nearly introspective path. Wow, another great tune.
“Moons and Cattails” starts out with some really spacey effects alongside a relaxed groove of some bongos or congas, which is soon joined by some psychedelic acoustic guitar playing that meanders around for a good while before seemingly resolving the line. Oh wow, my jaw just dropped as the tabla came on that seems to take the tune further out there while the ‘lead’ acoustic guitar seems to get even further out there. Perhacs’ vocals echo all of these sentiments even further, especially as her vocals seem to reverberate to a somewhat spacey, mysterious, ghostly breezy sound as the different lines eventually fade out. Great track.
“Morning Colors” begins with some seemingly grounded folksy acoustic guitar and Perhacs’ mysterious vocals, both of which seem to fill the soundscape with extremely pleasant sound, while still bringing a seemingly desolate sound, almost as if Perhacs recorded this tune alone in the middle of a clearing deep in a forest, a flowing river nearby, and no person within 500 miles of her. Oh wow, the sweet sound of a saxophone comes in and seems to reaffirm the innocence and nature-feel of the track. Great tune.
Oh wow, “Porcelain Baked-Over Cast-Iron Wedding” comes on hot with some super tasty acoustic guitar work that seems to have a grittier and quicker feel, in a manner as if the tune is winding up on itself. Oh wow, the tabla comes in as well, which really leans into that winding up sound as that sweet bass seems to string together the different beats of the tabla. There’s also what sounds to be a more traditional western drum kit sound as well, which almost produce a rockier sound when combined with the different quick and gritty accentuations of the acoustic guitar, while Perhacs’ voice seems to have a more rock-inclined force behind it, while still retaining a delicate quality. Wow, great track.
Oh wow, “Delicious” seems to embrace that innocent sound throughout the album, with the acoustic guitar almost taking on an acoustic jazz quality that reminds me of Joe Diorio’s track, “India”, off of his album Solo Guitar (1975). Oh wow, Perhacs’ voice hits some super high notes and dips back down to some lower notes in a very natural manner, which seems to provide tons of weight behind the performance in an effortless fashion. Wow, this song really tied up the album very nicely. Great track and a great way to finish this album.
Holy smokes, this album is awesome. If you enjoy folk music and have any liking of psychedelic music or world music or even experimental music, I would recommend you check out this album. Wow. Linda Perhacs’ voice has a ton of range, especially as she uses it in different layers throughout the album to create a polyphony of sweet sounds at a number of different points in the album. I’m definitely going to get this one on vinyl. If you do decide to check out this album, I sincerely do hope that you enjoy the listening experience at least as much as I did.
-A