Steve Henderson
12/26/06, 11:34 PM
Permanent Me - After the Room Clears
Release Date: 1/23/07
Record Label: Stolen Transmission
If you are anywhere near your 20s, it is a fair assumption to make that you grew up on pop punk. As Drive-Thru caught its stride in the late 90s, pop punk was the new "it" genre for sure. And really, it is easy to see why. At its core, pop punk bridged the gap between our split sensibilities - it had a smidge of attitude such that it made us feel cool enough listening to it, but the sense of melody artists embraced made it something far more accessible, and has made it really take off. However, as time has gone on, and pop punk has become an increasingly viable commercial force, the scales of the genre have tipped increasingly towards the pop side, as artists vehemently worship the hook, and producers clean the shit out of records beyond recognition. The end result ends up like someone going in for a nose job and coming out with the new beak, lipo, and a boob job to boot. Sometimes, those things were fine to begin with.
In light of these recent transgressions, it is a relief when a band like Permanent Me comes out of the woodwork. In the hypersheen era of pop punk that bands like Fall Out Boy have ushered in, it was nice to see a pop punk band that was still a little rough around the edges. Their debut EP, Yes, Virginia, didn't sound perfect, but then again, it didn't have to be. It was the work's "imperfections" that really set it apart. Permanent Me's hooks were not showy or excessive - they were practical and well applied. Their lyrics weren't overly angst-ridden or immature - they just worked. Above all, they weren't afraid to sound human. Brian Kapler and Joseph Guccione would let their voices peak and crack with emotion, but it never sounded like puberty on tape - it sounded like real music by a real band, and that made Permanent Me stand out from the crowd of glossy contemporaries.
Alas, when Permanent Me headed into the studio to record their debut LP, I was definitely eager to hear what they would come away with. But when I heard this mission was going to be overseen by none other than Matt Squire, I had my share of reservations. How would a producer notorious for his squeaky clean trickery mate up with a band that stood out through its willingness to get their hands dirty? Well, the answer is a disappointing one, as After the Room Clears is more what you would expect from Matt Squire than from Permanent Me. The tunes are catchy, but mopped up in an almost soulless kind of way, which makes the record a lot less notable than one might otherwise hope.
The main problem with After the Room Clears is the fact that too much of it occupies the inoffensive mid-tempo territory that really does not suit a band like Permanent Me as well as it might for others. Case in point, the album's opener, "Until You Leave," has an engaging, super-sweet hook, but its verses plod along rather awkwardly, putting the whole song on tenuous ground. The same goes for the re-recording of "Allison," which here is entirely pointless. The majority of the song mirrors its EP counterpart, and that which doesn't actually sounds sloppier - except of course for the Squire-shined chorus. Luckily, this slump is shattered by the gorgeous "Heartbreak" which flows smoothly from start to finish with the unassuming brand of sunshine we have come to know and love from Permanent Me. As the album progresses, an interesting question presents itself on "Christine." Why do pop punk bands try to scream? In true cringe-worthy fashion, listeners are subjected to over-the-top attempts of self expression, that come off just plain silly instead. The rest of the album's meat is somewhat unremarkable, which is a little good, and a little bad. The songs are smiley, bouncy, toe-tappers that sound quite good, but are still a little too faceless to warrant repeat listens. Luckily, the album goes out on a great 1-2 punch, with a fantastic re-imagining of "Dead to You," which is actually repackaged in stunning, fluffed-up rock ballad clothing and the wandering, diverse "New York City."
All in all, Permanent Me's debut offering is anything but bad, but still, it is kind of disappointing. The entire record is so safe that it becomes far too easy to lump Permanent Me in with the rest of the pop punk stew, and that seems a little unfair to a band with such a bright future. As it stands, if you are a pop punk junkie looking for your fix in the start of 2007, you can do far worse than After the Room Clears. But if you are looking for something a little more defined and ambitious, you are not going to get it here.
Boys Like Girls, Valencia, Junction 18, Cartel, Fall Out Boy, Plain White T's
Release Date: 1/23/07
Record Label: Stolen Transmission
If you are anywhere near your 20s, it is a fair assumption to make that you grew up on pop punk. As Drive-Thru caught its stride in the late 90s, pop punk was the new "it" genre for sure. And really, it is easy to see why. At its core, pop punk bridged the gap between our split sensibilities - it had a smidge of attitude such that it made us feel cool enough listening to it, but the sense of melody artists embraced made it something far more accessible, and has made it really take off. However, as time has gone on, and pop punk has become an increasingly viable commercial force, the scales of the genre have tipped increasingly towards the pop side, as artists vehemently worship the hook, and producers clean the shit out of records beyond recognition. The end result ends up like someone going in for a nose job and coming out with the new beak, lipo, and a boob job to boot. Sometimes, those things were fine to begin with.
In light of these recent transgressions, it is a relief when a band like Permanent Me comes out of the woodwork. In the hypersheen era of pop punk that bands like Fall Out Boy have ushered in, it was nice to see a pop punk band that was still a little rough around the edges. Their debut EP, Yes, Virginia, didn't sound perfect, but then again, it didn't have to be. It was the work's "imperfections" that really set it apart. Permanent Me's hooks were not showy or excessive - they were practical and well applied. Their lyrics weren't overly angst-ridden or immature - they just worked. Above all, they weren't afraid to sound human. Brian Kapler and Joseph Guccione would let their voices peak and crack with emotion, but it never sounded like puberty on tape - it sounded like real music by a real band, and that made Permanent Me stand out from the crowd of glossy contemporaries.
Alas, when Permanent Me headed into the studio to record their debut LP, I was definitely eager to hear what they would come away with. But when I heard this mission was going to be overseen by none other than Matt Squire, I had my share of reservations. How would a producer notorious for his squeaky clean trickery mate up with a band that stood out through its willingness to get their hands dirty? Well, the answer is a disappointing one, as After the Room Clears is more what you would expect from Matt Squire than from Permanent Me. The tunes are catchy, but mopped up in an almost soulless kind of way, which makes the record a lot less notable than one might otherwise hope.
The main problem with After the Room Clears is the fact that too much of it occupies the inoffensive mid-tempo territory that really does not suit a band like Permanent Me as well as it might for others. Case in point, the album's opener, "Until You Leave," has an engaging, super-sweet hook, but its verses plod along rather awkwardly, putting the whole song on tenuous ground. The same goes for the re-recording of "Allison," which here is entirely pointless. The majority of the song mirrors its EP counterpart, and that which doesn't actually sounds sloppier - except of course for the Squire-shined chorus. Luckily, this slump is shattered by the gorgeous "Heartbreak" which flows smoothly from start to finish with the unassuming brand of sunshine we have come to know and love from Permanent Me. As the album progresses, an interesting question presents itself on "Christine." Why do pop punk bands try to scream? In true cringe-worthy fashion, listeners are subjected to over-the-top attempts of self expression, that come off just plain silly instead. The rest of the album's meat is somewhat unremarkable, which is a little good, and a little bad. The songs are smiley, bouncy, toe-tappers that sound quite good, but are still a little too faceless to warrant repeat listens. Luckily, the album goes out on a great 1-2 punch, with a fantastic re-imagining of "Dead to You," which is actually repackaged in stunning, fluffed-up rock ballad clothing and the wandering, diverse "New York City."
All in all, Permanent Me's debut offering is anything but bad, but still, it is kind of disappointing. The entire record is so safe that it becomes far too easy to lump Permanent Me in with the rest of the pop punk stew, and that seems a little unfair to a band with such a bright future. As it stands, if you are a pop punk junkie looking for your fix in the start of 2007, you can do far worse than After the Room Clears. But if you are looking for something a little more defined and ambitious, you are not going to get it here.
Boys Like Girls, Valencia, Junction 18, Cartel, Fall Out Boy, Plain White T's