Perms

The Perms are not afraid to rock. With the release of their third album, the Winnipeg quartet have found their niche, and it really does seem to suit them. Better Days is an improvement over their last record, managing to surpass its predecessor’s patchiness, but it isn’t all sweetness and light. It simply doesn’t let up at all, and with an overactive horn section, it verges on being a little exhausting. It does demonstrate that the band aren’t afraid to show off their pop skills by packing the album with 11 hook-filled songs, but it isn’t subtle. And sometimes subtlety can be a good thing. Maybe next time around, the Perms might show they have more than one trick up their sleeve, although there’s no denying that the one trick they do know is a pretty good one. Lovers of power pop will adore Better Days but everyone else might prefer to sample it in smaller doses.