A haunting symphony of sound and emotion

Serj Tankian is no stranger to illusory yet evocative lyrics, sending listeners down a rabbit hole of emotion as possible meanings behind Perplex Cities seep in. The highly anticipated 5-song EP, a follow-up to 2021’s Elasticity, is rife with cryptic prose that’s anything but ordinary. After embarking upon a solo journey in 2007 with Elect The Dead, Tankian’s artfully wrought tracks reflect his passion for human rights and social justice, his multifaceted musical mastery a blessing and a curse. 

Perplex Cities opens up with “Pop Imperialism,” its slow and pensive melody fraught with gloomy undertones borrowed from minor chords, an omnipresent theme amongst each track. Although lyrics are often left to interpretation, Tankian’s views on social justice ring true with lyrics as haunting as they are prolific. 

The psychedelic sound comes further to life with artfully crafted studio mastering, dubbing Tankian’s vocals for a hypnotic duet as he sings- and at times- speaks his lyrics to life. As the lyrics turn to spoken words, the poetic beauty behind them imprints on the listener in a way only Tankian can master.

The EP continues with “The Race,” a slow, contemplative melody with vocal reverb for an ambient sound that transports the listener to another time and place. It evolves with the help of a synthesized drum beat that slow-walks its way across the track, falling back to give way for even more intricate layers of synth sounds, laminating each layer of words within the song. The music is never so overwhelming that Tankian’s raw, untethered voice is lost in the mix, his often agonizing lyrics at the forefront of each track, the instruments simply a vessel. 

As the EP transitions into “I Spoke Up,” an apparent sitar steals the spotlight, its reverberating buzz a reminder that there’s no instrument Tankian has yet to master. His impressive vocal range coupled with a meditative trance speaks to the purposeful culmination within each track. 

As Perplex Cities leads us into the penultimate track “Rumi Loves His Cars,” the soft piano and Tankian’s subdued vibrato are a stark contrast to the haunting yet beautiful lyrics. The superimposed track follows up Elasticity’s “Rumi,” written for his son, providing a glimpse into the layered thoughts that are all things Tankian, a rare musician capable of eliciting a myriad of emotions. 

Tankian rounds out Perplex Cities with “Forgive Me Father,” its nimble strum pattern Tankian’s final jolt of emotion, conveying one last time that he’s sinned, his prose admittedly reminding the listener that “I lie to things,” leaving this wide open to interpretation. Perplex Cities gives listeners a glimpse into the machine behind the music, a reminder that Tankian and his musical menagerie are a force to reckon with.