The Washdown

Refreshing, yet not overwhelming, The Washdown might just have you wanting to dance along to their new album, Yes To Everything.

They have a sound similar to perhaps Hot Hot Heat or The Hives, with catchy guitars, funky vocals and solid drums make me want to bob my head and tap my feet. I brought this to the library computer lab and people were wondering what the hell I was doing, sitting there, trying to dance in my seat, while typing up a paper on the Graham Greene’s idea of the Catholic novel. Now that, my friends, says a lot. If you can make me dance while I am writing a paper on Catholicism and Graham Greene, that is pretty damn good.

While this is album is not anything amazing , it is something worth taking a listen to. If only they could keep up the energy and intensity throughout the whole album, I would be truly impressed. While there are highlights, such as track three, “Bad Connection w/a Lover,” that leave my feet anxiously twitching for the next tune, others, like track five “Confusion… (Confusion?)” leave me disappointed and it takes me a little while before I can again accept apologies and get into the next upbeat boogie. While I realize sometimes you need a break, sometime you also need to keep a good thing going while you have it. Honestly, there could have been a few tracks that they just cut down. It doesn’t seem like the kind of album that needs tracks over four minutes long. Their power and appeal, for me, is in their energy and their catchy danceable hooks. I just wish there had been a few more tracks emphasizing this ability that shines through in other tracks.

I wish I could say yes to everything about this album. The Washdown deliver on quite a few tracks, but unfortunately, there are a few that just don’t make the cut. A little more spice, a little more energy, and it could be yes to everything on the album for The Washdown. But for now, I will have to wait.