Rogue Wave Maintains with Permalight
Electro-experimentation pull a solid record out of the recently-morphed Bay Area darlings
Rogue Wave
Permalight
Released on Mar 02, 2010
You would not know it from
listening to “Solitary Gun,” the charming opener of Rogue Wave’s
latest, that Permalight is a somewhat radical shift for the Bay
Area indie stars. The memorable melody, hand-claps, and acoustic strumming
of the song provide a comfortable introduction to the album for listeners
familiar with the band’s back catalog. However, bandleader Zach Rogue
and company choose not to rest on the laurels of the listenable, wistful
rock that in just 5+ years has built them a respectable career and impressive
following. Rather, shakeups in the dynamic of the independent rock scene
and turmoil in the band’s personal circle (former member and longtime
friend of the band Evan Farrell passed away shortly after the release
of 2007’s Asleep at Heaven’s Gate) have seemingly caused
the band to turn outward with their fourth LP and release an album with
ambitions beyond their relatively restrained history.
While not a complete reconfiguration of the band’s sound – the melodic sensibility and vocal delivery of bandleader Zach Rogue is mostly unchanged – Permalight substantially departs from previous Rogue Wave recordings with an up-tempo set featuring the heavy use of electronic instrumentation and elements of modern dance music. The results are not always successful. The record’s infusion of electronic elements is occasionally clumsy and heavy-handed, and can feel more like misguided experimentation than a cutting-edge modernization of classic rock. Still, Rogue’s ambition should be praised, and the multiple missteps are as interesting a component of the album as Rogue’s still-formidable songwriting ability. Not despite its overreaching but largely because of it, Permalight is an intriguing and often surprisingly satisfying listen.
After “Gun,” the album
begins its experimentation in earnest while retaining elements of familiarity.
“Good Morning (The Future)” is jarring at first, but wins with a
driving beat and undeniably catchy electronic chorus, while Rogue pines
over love’s uncertainty and cheerfully appropriates the vocal mannerisms
of fellow indie-rock crossover darling Ben Gibbard. Where the instantly
singable hook of “The Future” drives the song to success, the pitfalls
of Permalight’s electronic experimentation are evident on the
self-consciously “dancey” title track and on the more straightforward
rocker “Alright With You,” which struggles to mesh Rogue’s writing
with the record’s forward-looking sonic approach.
The highlights of the record manage to outstrip its problems. “The Future” sticks immediately and seems destined for alternative-radio airplay, and mid-tempo four-on-the-floor stunner “Fear Itself” features beautifully weaving guitar textures and strongly recalls U2’s late-80s output. On the folky shuffle “I’ll Never Leave You,” Rogue, playing a guardian angel of sorts, paradoxically promises that “I’ll never leave you…I’ll never be the one I was in life.”
Critics of Rogue Wave, and particularly those who dislike Zach Rogue’s often-affected singing style (which, as ever, heavily draws from multiple indie-rock contemporaries and shifts between several accents, often in the course of a single song) are unlikely to be sated by the changes offered by Permalight. Still, the record’s nod to the digital age is likely to win new fans, and the band’s existing legion of devotees should find much to love both familiar and unexpected. Permalight is uneven at times, but works as a collection of songs and as a statement that Rogue Wave is ready and willing to evolve. That’s a good thing.
High Point
Admirable, ambitious effort that tries to turn an established sound into something new.
Low Point
Occasional experimental misfires and sometimes too-affected vocal delivery by Zach Rogue.
Posted by Miguel Harvey on Mar 04, 2010 @ 6:00 am
