Search - The Washdown :: Yes to Everything

A cut above

Elliott Brown | San Francisco | 02/26/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Lately a sea of of mod-looking, Brooklyn-based, garage-sounding, cooler-than-thou bands has popped up. Aside from the fact The Washdown are from Tampa, it would be easy to lump them in with the rest of the in-crowd, but doing so would be a huge mistake.
I "discovered" them on the opening night of San Francisco's Noise Pop festival. Going to the show, I was a little disappointed that there weren't any bands on the bill that I knew, but when Ryan Hess kicked off The Washdown's set with the most furious tamborine-playing I'd ever seen, I knew I was in for a treat."Yes to Everything" captures the energy of The Washdown's tumultuous live performance. The album is clean and well-produced, but no concessions are made to detract from the fury that drives this band. The music is always nicely layered for the loud rock and roll it is, which allows the listener to pick apart countervailing crunchy guitar licks and the bouncy bass line that earn the band the "dance punk" tag.On tracks like "Kansas City," The Washdown sounds similar to some of The Rapture's (or, really, Gang of Four's) more user friendly stuff -- riff-oriented, with stops and starts, and screamed lyrics with some repetitive phases ("I should have walked..." and "Or we could..." begin many vocal lines). I don't think the sound quality of the songs Amazon lets you hear really do The Washdown justice -- their music is just so big -- but "We've Listened to Your History" is another good example of what this album has to offer. In sum, The Washdown is the type of band I hoped Jet would be after hearing their song on an i-pod commercial. "Yes to Everything" is raw yet refined, rocking but groovy. I'd recommend this album for anyone who is swept up in the garage tide or stuck in a 70's punk eddy. The only reason I give this album four stars instead of five is that it might be a little too loud for some people. If you think the Strokes are "hard," listen to the track "counfusion...(confusion)" to make sure The Washdown aren't too much for you."

The Wash- down, Around and Behind Your Ears

kaidaco | LES, New York City USA | 06/22/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"See this band perform live and you'll understand why "Yes to Everything" makes you want to clear the furniture in your apartment and pump your head. Almost the same energy that the band exudes live comes through in this CD. This band has an edge that puts them ahead of the rest of the "Brooklyn band" type, and I know they're well on their way to putting themselves way ahead. I'm looking forward to hearing what comes next and seeing a visual to go with the music. (We need a video--people need to see what my hype is about!)"