Music

‘Heartfelt’ troubadours are ten a penny these days, too many of them nursing dreams of doomed, Jeff Buckley- or Elliott Smith-like glory, despite the fact that they have more in common with the banal likes of Ross Copperman. Elvis Perkins, however, is the real, emotionally resonant deal. Edging out even Mark ‘E’ Everett of Eels in the personal trauma stakes, 31-year-old Perkins (son of the late actor, Anthony ‘Norman Bates’ Perkins) has good reason for letting sadness seep deep into his songs. Nine years after his father died of an Aids-related illness in 1992, his mother was killed in the 9/11 disaster.

Despite its title (9/11 was a Tuesday), Perkins’ charming, folk-toned debut emits a genuine warmth, flexes a surprising amount of muscle and moves with a carnival-like swing. Perkins’ sweetly weary voice suggests both Woody Guthrie and a poppy Dylan, his writing Neil Young, Leonard Cohen and – more surprisingly –  a less showy Rufus Wainwright. ‘All The Night Without Love’ suggests Cohen backed by Calexico, while the magical ‘Emile’s Vietnam In The Sky’ blends French chanson with Tex-Mex  and Celtic folk. Elvis might not be the acknowledged king of American nu-folk, but he’s now a contender for the crown.