Song Spotlight – Permanent Stain

When there’s downtime, I often go though my files and try to upload or I try to. When I do I end up binge-watching more than anything else. It’s a problem I love to have to be honest. The archive as it keeps expanding is probably the best and biggest time consumer I have. (Speaking of which if you have any media you’d like to donate to the archive, always feel free to email me at bsbdarkside@gmail.com ) Why am I talking about this though? Because even though my plan had to been to start working on a post discussing NKOTBSB (still in the works of course), I ended up with an urge to simply gush on a song I feel gets overlooked at times.

If you saw the title then yes, you know it’s about Permanent Stain.

Now I love this song and I love the Boys, but I will be the first to admit that the title is a bit unfortunate. It makes me think of dirty laundry. I mean I get why they used that title and I really can’t think of what else they could’ve called it. I suppose they could’ve gone ‘Cause you left a permanent mark on my heart…’ but then it gets very sing-song along the chorus which Brian is infamous for hating. We know this because we all know the fight in the documentary over the song Soldier which also has that vibe.

But beyond the title it is one of my favorite songs on In A World Like This. It is a song that lends strongly to the Boys’ biggest strengths. The harmonies are layered all throughout this song. It’s not heavily reliant on any effects in the song whatsoever. In fact during the promotion for the album this was their go-to a capella song (as they do tend to have one per album) or it would be played acoustically with nothing but a pair of guitars manned by Nick and Brian.

Sonically this song could be closest compared to a Beach Boys track out of any in their catalogue to date. You can hear it along the bridge towards the end of the track. The blend is absolutely flawless in it’s execution and breakdown. I would love to keep seeing more songs like this in the future, honestly. My mom raised me on the Beach Boys, they’ve done a great tribute cover performance to them (one of their best covers to date), and they’ve said before they’re an influence.

Now, does the song have a similar structure to their song It’s Christmas Time Again? Fine, yes. But to me it doesn’t matter that much. Both songs were written by the same people. It happens sometimes. I still think this track is the stronger of the two. It has a urgency to it in the melodic build up and transition into the next section of the songs. It showcases all that is great and wonderful about the Boys while in a way broadcasting an influence of theirs in the music itself. Tell me when you listen to their ooooh ooo ooooh ooo ooooh you don’t hear some Beach Boys styled harmonies along that chorus. You do.

And they sound damn pretty while doing so.