The ordinary third-wave ska sound is full of distorted power chords and repetitive hornlines. I'm very glad to say that this deviates from the average third-wave ska outfit. The music remains skankable and close to the normal ska audience that it's aimed for and has more that even the non ska crowd can appreciate. From the laid back acoustics of "Alma Ata" and "Epilogue" to the more punkish "Decemberists Song", the album definitely delivers what you would expect from Catch 22 and a bit more.
The lyrics explore the life and times of Russian revolutionist Leon Trotsky. The first track of the album, "The Spark", reveals the beginning of Mr. Trotsky's political activism and career. The next seven tracks follow him through revolution, death, and exile, until in the eighth track "Opportunity" a agent of the Soviet Union is sent to Trotsky's Mexican home in Mexico City where he was stabbed with a ice pick. The next track is a tribute to Leon Trotsky and his dedication to his cause. Permanent Revolution does a fine job of telling the story in a modern language and setting.
Permanent Revolution is, I believe the highest point that Catch 22 has come to in the post-Kalnoky era. In my opinion, it perfectly stands up to Keasbey Nights and even towers over it. There's nothing on the album that I really hate, the most I can say about it in a negative sense is that after a while I got tired of it, but that is the issue with most any album, right?
If you aren't fond of third-wave ska then it probably isn't for you, but who knows, you may find interest in a few of the tracks, especially if you are a Trotsky buff. If the album was somehow broken or stolen, I probably wouldn't buy it over again, as pretty much all of my friends have it.
