Permalight

Rogue Wave suffered the death of former bassist Evan Farrell and singer Zach Rogue slipped discs in his neck in the three years leading up to their fourth album, 2010’s Permalight. Yet, it’s a jubilant disc of power pop as skewered by the crusty tones of vintage synthesizer and handclap driven drum rhythms. The harmonies add an extra sheen of enthusiasm as this collection of “triumph over adversity” dials up the happiness scale on tracks such as “Solitary Gun,” “Good Morning (The Future)” and “You Have Boarded.” “Sleepwalker” jolts along like the Parisian pop of fellow popsters Ivy as Rogue sings with the Sunday-morning sense of the Zombies’ Colin Blunstone, while “Stars and Stripes” kicks up like an upbeat Pernice Brothers tune. The band’s potential grandeur peaked with 2007’s Asleep At Heaven’s Gate, after spending their early days as Rogue’s bedroom demos (and solo project). With Permalight, the band has found a modest balance to continue seeking out the sun in between the rainclouds.