The Washdown – Yes to Everything / 11 Tracks / 2004 Lookout Records / http://www.thewashdown.com / http://www.lookoutrecords.com / Released 24 February 2004 / Reviewed 21 January 2004

Yeah! This is what The Rapture’s “Echoes” should have been if they didn’t realize the pile of shit that was the actual album. “Right Foot” is a Joy Division meets Hot Hot Heat style of track, mixing in the sparse drumming of the former with the excellent stop-start dynamics of the latter. This deconstruction of each instrument into what is essential is a definite strength for the band, and follow-up tracks like “Bad Connection w/ A Lover” and “We’ve Listened to Your History” show the willingness of the band to follow this dictum. Each constituent part of each track on “Yes to Everything” isn’t quite as clear-cut as the early Cure or Joy Division tracks that were large influences, but rather show the influences of the more contemporary punk bands on The Washdown. The dynamic between the band really make for sweeping soundscapes during each track, while still showing high amounts of talent with each instrument.

What really stands out for me during the entirety of Yes to Everything would have to be The Fall-like bass lines of Bryan, definitely the key ingredient to why each of the tracks on this disc have such an infectious groove. While this disc isn’t innovative in the least, tracks like “Ladies and Gentlemen” are some of the best written and best sounding tracks of this early year. In a time where there are so many acts about that will release a CD that is lucky to have two or three worthy tracks, The Washdown put out this gem of an album, with nothing in the way of weakness to find. The lead-up to the chorus found on “Say When” shows the increasing entropy of the situation, a trick that would absolutely whip any dance crowd into a frenzy.

This CD shows the incredible transformation of the band from their earlier EP, which was released in August of 2002. Where the band jumped between hard-edged emo and anemic punk on their last CD, this album shows a band that is definitely sure of themselves and the musical direction that they plan on taking. “Yes to Everything”, as I’ve said earlier in the album, is the album that “Echoes” should have been. I would typically shy away from yet another dance-punk band, but The Washdown show that the genre hasn’t completely denigrated to self-parody.

Rating : 8.4/10

Top Tracks “Say When” ,“Right Foot”