Rogue Wave - Permalight

You can forgive Rogue Wave's Zach Rogue and Pat Spurgeon for wanting to record an album that Rogue describes as "for lack of a better term, fun". Between Rogue suffering a debilitating slipped disc and Spurgeon's terrible struggle with kidney failure, it was time -- after some medical down time -- to change directions even if it meant shaking up (literally) the Oakland band's original sound. "When I started writing I wanted to make a record that was a little more up," Rogue says, "a record you could move your body to because I couldn't move for so long". The result -- Permalight, arriving March 2 via Jack Johnson's Brushfire label --  is a surprisingly uptempo, groove-laden album that intersects the intricate, indie-rock melodies Rogue Wave is known for with a new glittering, funky and synth-driven propulsion. It is, writes Rogue, "a more visceral kind of album...so make sure you're wearing some good shoes."

Produced by Dennis Herring (Modest Mouse), Permalight's dozen meticulously crafted tracks plumb the creative depths of Rogue's revamped musical moods. Kicked off by lead single "Good Morning", a brittle new-wavish rocker with a relentless 4/4 kick, the music skitters and twists with abandon, guitars and keys colliding with glossy beats. And even though the album is a self-described "total dance album", there's still time for a straight-ahead alt-rocker ("Per Anger") and a thoughtful acoustic meditation ("I'll Never Leave You") -- just to keep things unpredictable. Recommended.

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Rogue Wave - "Good Morning" (from the album Permalight)