Rogue Wave - Permalight
Rating
RIYL
The PixiesSpoon
The Shins
Release Date
03/02/2010
Label
Brushfire RecordsTracklist
1) Solitary Gun2) Good Morning
3) Sleepwalker
4) Stars and Stripes
5) Permalight
6) Fear Itself
7) Right With You
8) We Will Make a Song Destroy
9) I'll Never Leave You
10) Per Anger
11) You Have Boarded
12) All That Remains
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Rogue Wave has always seemed like a band on the brink: on the brink of mainstream breakthrough, on the brink of stability, on the brink of critical acclaim. Unfortunately the band remains under the radar of commercial radio, riddled with mishaps, and has critics perpetually anticipating that next record that’s sure to cement the band’s place in the indie rock canon. But they can’t ever seem to get it right. That’s not to say that Permalight is a bad record, just that it’s probably not what Rogue Wave fans were hoping for.
The album starts with the rollicking and melodious “Solitary Gun,” a sunny, poppy anthem that seems to be more in line with their home at Jack Johnson’s Brushfire Records than their alma mater, Sub Pop. In fact, much of this record is reminiscent of a beachfront bonfire or summer surfer party, as evidenced in “Sleepwalker,” “All That Remains,” and “I’ll Never Leave You.” However, some confusion abounds in the album’s identity. Tracks like “Permalight,” “Right With You,” and “We Will Make a Song Destroy,” take on a Pixies-light vibe, and driving synths and electronic textures dominate on “Good Morning” and “Stars and Stripes,” respectively.
Identity crisis aside, Permalight excels where Rogue Wave always has: hooks. The record is loaded with massive melodies and memorable refrains. Lead singles “Solitary Gun” and “Good Morning” are nothing short of anthems after all. Yet the album’s best moments come when the band decides to get intimate and drop its surfer appeal, like on “Fear Itself” and “Per Anger.”
All in all, Permalight succeeds as a fun record, somewhat of a guilty pleasure, but one that you don’t really feel so bad about. The production may be slick, the drums too loud, the vibe too varied, but every song is its own sort of pop perfection, infectiously catchy, and highly enjoyable. As a long time Rogue Wave fan, I once again find myself saying, “This next one, well, that’s the one that’s going to do it for them. That’s the one that will be their breakthrough.”
--Alex Burton
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