Vol. 1 - EP

The guys in Permit, Drew Auscherman and Jack Andrew, love two things: classic AOR bands like Thin Lizzy and crappy recording gear. Their debut single makes the most of their twin obsessions and the six short songs are blown out, played at very fast tempos, insanely hooky, and a total, seemingly tossed off in a creative burst, blast. They were so busy figuring out guitar harmonies, they didn't even have time to name the songs, instead just calling them "Track #1," "Track #2," and so on. It basically sounds like the best power pop, best AOR, and best lo-fi bands all thrown into a cement mixer, set on purée, and then baked in the blazing sun until they were perfectly formed. Like kindred spirit Tony Molina, Permit aren't for people who like their guitar rock doled out in measured, perfectly calibrated fashion; instead, they're for the freaks who like their hard rock as weird as possible, while still being tooth-rottingly sweet and more fun than a room full of kittens. The single is over before it's even clear what has happened, and it holds all sorts of promise for future greatness if the guys can stay true to the formula.