Billy Howerdel ‘What Normal Was’ Review: A Perfect Circle mastermind strikes out on his own with impressive solo debut. 

“This is me stepping back into my early teen self and making the record I would have made if I had the means and the knowledge when I first picked up a guitar—just in 2022. It’s that moment as a kid when you hear a record, close your eyes, and go somewhere else. That was the time I found my lane, so to speak. During the making of this album, a global pandemic’s chaos had a silver lining. It gave me time to tighten the songs into the place I’d hoped they could be. When I look back, I don’t think I’d change anything about it.”

That’s A Perfect Circle’s guitarist/songwriter/backing vocalist Billy Howerdel describing What Normal Was, his first proper solo album (June 10, Alchemy Recordings). And the album, while sharing creative DNA with both APC and his previous side project Ashes Divide, is truly its own animal, and adds new dimensions to Howerdel’s talents.

The album looks both backwards and forwards, drawing upon 80’s postpunk influences but infused with Howerdel’s unique musical fingerprints and abilities to pull new shapes from familiar patterns.

The album opens with Selfish Heart, which sounds like an old school Depeche Mode banger, with Howerdel’s vocals drawing comparisons to Dave Gahan amid siren synths and glacial post punk guitars.

Free and Weightless is a soaring New Wave anthem, another track that shows that Howerdel has learned a musical trick or two from bandmate Maynard James Keenan, with a vocal delivery that is assured, muscular and dynamic.

Ani is a grimy darkwave delight, recalling both The Cure, She Wants Revenge and John Carpenter-it’s an escalating and labyrinthine ear worm that is glorious moody melodrama.

While the self-produced album is a solo affair, Howerdel is joined by an impressive list of collaborators, including familiar faces like ex-NIN member Danny Lohner (who co-produces), along with APC alumni Josh Freese (drums) and Matt McJunkins (bass).

Their involvement gives the album a vintage slick and strident kick on songs like the smoky ballad Beautiful Mistake, punctuated by a lyrical and cinematic guitar solo, or the airy synth-driven anthem The Same Again.

First single Broken Flowers has the same darkly erotic overtones of A Perfect Circle, with Howerdel whispering hushed confessionals over piano stabs and sinewy bass, while Follower follows the patina of APC’s 2018 effort Eat The Elephant with vocal harmonies that recall Keenan’s at times, and provides the most rocking moment on the album.

Bring Honor Back Home’s fractured music box melody is lovely and haunting, a gauzy rain-soaked stunner, while EXP’s desolate soundscapes and multiple female backing vocals draws from the likes of Dead Can Dance to create something ethereally cinematic in scope.

Howerdel saves the best for last with Stars, a song co-written with Concrete Blonde’s Johnette Napolitano (who sadly doesn’t make an appearance) that straddles the line between goth and Failure-esque 90’s alt-rock. It’s grandiose and cosmic, topped with tribal drums and Howerdel’s finest vocals of the album. It’s also the most emotional song on the record, ending things in a dramatic and satisfying fashion.

What Normal Was is a solid and deeply rewarding effort from a songwriter and technician who is able to transcend his influences and evolve in sound. It also proves he’s a dynamic vocalist in his own right, able to fully realize his musical vision on each track. It also suggests he could step up from backing vocals in his main band do a lead every once in awhile.

In addition, What Normal Was is one of the best releases of 2022, sure to surprise and delight diehard A Perfect Circle fans and lovers of dark 80’s alternative alike.