Word: albums
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...similar fashion, “Here Today, Gone Tomorrow,” marks the band’s sole instance of musical experimentation. In a departure from the soft rock which defines much of the rest of the album, this track is marked by a heavier bass line and more reverb. Much like the rest of the album, however, the lyrics still leave a little to be desired—“You’re all talk and nothing to say / We don’t want, don’t want what you’re giving...
...attempts at breaking the band’s music-writing norm. Taken individually, the songs are largely appealing and easy to listen to, but in the context of the record as a whole, many of the elements are lost due to mere repetition, a problem which plagues the album throughout...
...Permalight” finds Rogue Wave in transition. The Bay Area indie band’s first two albums, 2003’s “Out of the Shadows” and 2005’s “Descend Like Vultures,” were both critically praised as mixtures of lo-fi acoustic numbers, rockers, and soulful, sometimes morose pop songs, drawing endless comparisons to classic indie bands like Built to Spill and The Shins. Before their 2007 follow-up, “Asleep at Heaven’s Gate,” they were dropped...
...band continues in a similar direction on “Permalight,” not only by incorporating studio sounds, but making them a fundamental part of the album. If a return to the lo-fi sounds of their early recordings seemed unlikely after “Asleep at Heaven’s Gate,” “Permalight” makes it seem almost impossible. Rogue Wave haven’t lost their penchant for crafting incredibly appealing hook-laden melodies, which ensure the memorable impression “Permalight” leaves...
Lyrically, the album isn’t particularly fascinating or thought-provoking. At their worst, the lyrics are inane nonsense—“Never had a false alarm / Softer than a baby’s arm”—but there are moments that are much cleverer—“All I have is time / To bring back this bloodline of mine.” However, considering the fact that Rogue’s voice is sometimes inaudible over the band’s walls of sound, this weakness doesn’t seem...