If you want a great rockin’ head boppin’ pop album, Winnipeg’s The Perms latest “Keep You Up When You’re Down” will fit the bill. In fact this album pushes The Perms as a major player in the power pop genre. The opening single “Give Me All Your Lovin” is a catchy high energy song that sounds a bit like KISS meets Sloan.  This is followed by the gem “As You Were” with a driving chorus and roaring guitars along the lines of the Posies or Velvet Crush.  Both “Running Away” and “World To Me” continues to kick things up with harmonious guitars and vocals. The band flirts with a bigger arena sound on “You Don’t Know” but stop short of Bon Jovi/Def Leppard territory. Another slew of gems follow with the great melodies in “Nightshift” and the gentle vocal harmonies on “Who are you Fooling” recalling Weezer. The album is pretty consistent, with a bunch of good mid-tempo rockers like “Big Mistake” and “It Won’t Hurt Us At All.” I do hear a 70s rock element here with Thin Lizzy styled guitar licks, and Chad Smith’s deep vocals do seem to be channeling Paul Stanley. Every track is good here, and it ends just as strong as it begins with the excellent “Salvation.” If the Perms were not on your radar before — now is the time to pay attention. 

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This is a studio update on The Perms sound.

Few artists are as timeless as former Smiths frontman Morrissey. On his ninth solo album, he’s as sharp as ever. Lyrically not too many people can get away with lines like “It’s not your birthday anymore, there’s no need to be kind to you.” There is not so much a single standout track (although “I’m Throwing My Arms Around Paris” comes close), as this is a solid consistent album. Unlike earlier works, his optimism is on full display here. He even mentions “It’s a miracle I made it this far…” in the first track “Something Is Squeezing My Skull.”