How Many Padmes Hum? – an eclectic collection of faraway pop tunes released by Christchurch musician Sam Perry under the name Zen Mantra.
How Many Padmes Hum? succeeds largely in its simplicity ‐ catchy melodies strung together over familiar chords. Guitar‐pop track ‘Cloudgazer’ embodies this with an echoing mantra that slides off the tongue, “days go by and still you try to forget”. Female harmonies and a building structure give it enough variety to maintain momentum without becoming repetitive.
With How Many Padmes Hum?, Perry has produced an impressive set of songs, cohesive and creative.