Follies, The
Permanent Present Tense
A new beginning with familiar roots. No matter how you slice it, Permanent Present Tense is a high test trek to the forefront of rock'n'roll's boundless canvas. The Follies have spent a collective lifetime in dark, amplified dives (see: Vanity, Vexx, Ajax, Twisted Thing for more) but their approach here is different, and firmly rooted in the present. Sure, these ten tracks have that compact, New-York-Fuckin'-City drive that's innate to the five boroughs, but let's talk about the sheer quality songwriting and arrangement on display here. Permanent Present Tense has both the roots and the refinement that transcend the usual debut album. Fashion and genre are thrown down the fire escape in favor of memorable hooks and words that have immense replay value. Think Love and Arthur Lee, or even the Kinks' own Arthur. Brit pop & pub rock shouldered up to the shimmering guitar jangle of Haight-Ashbury, but arranged by Punks. Perhaps you'll remember this album differently, but the one sticking point to the Follies is their collective ability to synthesize the past into the present throughout ten utterly bulletproof tracks.