Perms

On their fifth and latest album, Sofia Nights, the Perms have simplified things, gotten rid of the decorations and refined their ability to create catchy hooks. This is the second outing for the Perms, sans-horn player, and they have become a well-oiled power-pop machine. Power chords and youthful lyrics are fundamental to every track on Sofia Nights; partying with the boys and thinking about girls all night long are their priorities. Therefore, a track like "High School High" is the appropriate music to accompany advertisements for the latest uninspired teen-flick hitting theatres. "Over and Over" keeps things slightly varied, but there's no escape from the group-sung, cheesy vocals. For the benefit of the listener, the Perms never take themselves too seriously, which allows for some seriously fun music. Nudges or inspiration from the Cars keep much of Sofia Nights interesting, but it's hard to think that this album isn't lyrically and stylistically stuck in a nostalgic trip.