Power pop from the Great White North
Americans might be surprised to learn that the intersection of “Winnipeg, Manitoba,†and “rock stars†yields no less than the Guess Who, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Crash Test Dummies, and Neil Young. The Perms have been plugging away on the Winnipeg scene since 1997, and their fifth album is a hook-filled collection, heavy on the guitar, bass, drums and harmonies. The vocals range from a low-register that suggests the Smithereens’ Pat DiNizio to the keening edginess of the La’s Lee Mavers; fans of Sloan, Weezer, Teenage Fanclub and Velvet Crush will enjoy these songs of romantic turmoil, adolescent immortality, and the requisite ups and downs one should expect from a power-pop record. [©2011 hyperbolium dot com] 