Perrett returns after 21 years with ‘How the West Was Won’

Nearly 40 years ago, in 1978 to be exact, the Only Ones roared through “Another Girl, Another Planet,” one of the signature songs of the British punk era.

Improbably, Peter Perrett, the band’s songwriter and singer, has emerged after years off the radar — his last official album was 21 years ago — with a superb solo album, “How the West Was Won.”

Perrett’s dry nasal drawl, often compared to Lou Reed, sounds as slyly humorous as ever on the opening title track, a rumination on American culture that includes arch comments on Kim Kardashian and other Stateside phenomena sung with a definite “Walk on the Wild Side” vibe.

It’s a kick, but the album quickly reaches much deeper.

“An Epic Story” shows just how stirring a straightforward song of love and devotion can be, its stellar melody fleshed out by Perrett’s son Jamie’s resounding guitar riffs.

“Living in My Head” takes a bit longer to unwind, but succeeds at recreating the harrowing interior landscape of a recovering drug addict before ending with a lengthy, transcendent guitar solo.

“Something in My Brain” explores similar territory, this time using gallows humor, with Perrett using the metaphor of a lab rat’s choice between crack and food to mirror choices in his own life.

These druggy themes may sound depressing, but Perrett delivers them with energy, dry humor and emotion. He’s aided immensely by the taut backing of his compact band, which includes son Peter Jr. on bass as well as Jamie, whose wiry guitars snake throughout these tracks, the occasional solos fitting snugly into the album’s sonic framework.

After just a couple of listens, “How the West Was Won” feels not so much like yet another comeback album, but more like a fluid continuation of a story that was too long interrupted.

Perrett’s re-emergence after years of battling his demons with his sharp wit and songwriting talents intact is a happy miracle, both for him and for all of us.