Song Review - Dana Gehrman - ‘Perfect Imperfection’

Mar 3

REVIEW BY: Camille Penrose

After her debut album’s release in 2019, Dana Gehrman seemed to take a break from recording music, most likely put on hold by the pandemic, like many other musicians. However, it seems the forced introspection we’ve all faced during various lockdowns has cultivated a new artistic spark within Gehrman, which is ever so bright in her newest single Perfect Imperfection.

The single is a cover of Little Feat’s 1979 track off Down on the Farm, a personal favourite of Gehrman’s. The Brisbane singer’s cover gives the song a gentle facelift that’s infused with modern funk, whilst still capturing the west coast yacht rock greatness of the original.

Perfect Imperfection is about the paradox of love - the way it contradicts itself in its highs and lows. It’s essentially about embracing love’s unpredictability and wildness, and appreciating all it’s great moments, with Gehrman urging “don’t you hide away” from it. Whilst the lyrics of the song are great, it’s Gehrman’s voice and velvety accompaniment that steal the show.

This is an atmospheric song, and when you listen to it you might feel like you’re in a smokey, low-lit Californian bar, drinking whiskey in a back corner. The funky electric guitar solo keeps the song current and gutsy, setting it apart from its original. Gehrman’s quintessential cool girl vocal simmers atop the jazzy instrumentation, which has an ever-present organ, that actually works quite nicely in the track.

The slung guitar chords and raspy tone of Gehrman often have the piece teetering on lo-fi, but the lush production is way to deliberate and sleek to be classified as that. The slinky blues piano chords pace the piece and add more to the vintage fusion that Gehrman brings so consistently to her music.

This sultry ode to complex love is one you don’t want to miss, especially if you love a reinvented tune. If Perfect Imperfection is a peek into a new album from Gehrman, then I can’t wait to hear the rest.