Artist: Permanent Me
Album: After The Room Clears
Label: Stolen Transmission
Purchase: Smart Punk
Release Date: January 23, 2007

Overall: 7.0
Music: 7.5
Lyrics: 6.0
Production: 9.0

“After The Room Clears” was the fourth full length to ever be released on Stolen Transmission Records, a label that has built itself up seemingly overnight. Permanent Me (previously called Yes, Virginia) was one of the first to be signed on the label, and after recording and relentless touring, they’ve finally put out a full-length record.

The album is upbeat and nearly every song seems to be an energetic pop number about relationships, and to be more precise, relationships gone wrong; not that this is a bad thing. “After The Room Clears” possess a certain energy that makes up for the few parts that get somewhat repetitive. A supreme example of this energy is the first 10 seconds of the record. Permanent Me wastes no time with a intro song, but rather jumps into the record with “Until You Leaveâ€?, a catchy, upbeat song that promises to get stuck into your head. This approach sets up the mood for the rest of the album and the song is the perfect way to start off the record.
As the album continues, the energy captured in the first song is never lost, making the record that much more memorable. The band showcases it’s potential most notably in the songs “Dead To You”, where vocalist Brian Kapler sings with an extra bit of intensity that was previously unheard on the rest of the album.
The final song on the record “20 Years” demonstrated the same potential that “Dead To You.” Maybe it’s the “whoaâ€?s in the chorus, but every time I hear this song, I can’t help but think it’s one of those songs that you go to a concert and can’t wait to hear because you can’t wait to sing along. A lot of the record is like that, and although it’s not groundbreaking, it’s fun pop rock that people can have fun listening to.

Track Listing
1. Until You Leave
2. Allison
3. Heartattack
4. 4 A.M.
5. Christine
6. Blackjaw
7. By the Time
8. Later On
9. Friday Night
10. Dead to You
11. NYC
12. 20 Years