Review Summary: "I count only blue cars..." but that's about it.
The “one hit wonder” title often pigeonholes certain bands. As many of us know, that title does not say to any length how great a band was; it is a label designated to those groups that don’t make it commercially beyond that one hit. Groups such as the Dropkick Murphys, who enjoy an enormous cult following have not experienced any type of mainstream success, but are a critically acclaimed celtic-punk band. The same could be said about Dinosaur Jr., who to this day remain one of the greatest underground alternative rock outfits of all-time. In the case of Dishwalla however, the band never seemed to escape the shadow of 90’s smash hit
Counting Blue Cars and have failed in that respect. Dishwalla comes off as your average 90’s pop-rock band, with both an accessible and somewhat unoriginal sound that seems ripe for the picking on the mainstream stage.
In the midst of those catchy pop/rock radio singles such as the Gin Blossoms’
Hey Jealously, The Verve’s
Bittersweet Symphony, and Semisonic’s
Closing Time, was
Counting Blue Cars. Its impact on the commercial world was immediate, riding a definitive 90’s riff and unforgettable chorus into brief and unfortunately, forgettable stardom. Lead singer J.R. Richards sings, “Tell me all your thoughts of god, cause I’m on my way to see her;” his post-grunge tone shifting to a delicate falsetto as lead guitarist Rodney Browning follows with a fitting and effective solo.
Counting Blue Cars proves to have the makings of a wonderful 90’s alternative rock single that regrettably still is the band’s lone underscore. The rest of Dishwalla’s debut “Pet Your Friends” however, is just yet another indication that the band would be unable to replicate the success of their headlining single.
Even the first time I heard “Pet Your Friends,” I came to the conclusion that I’ve heard this record before. Dishwalla failed to develop a record that is memorable in any respect, for they seemed to throw in a few slow and a few fast tracks, to only provide the album with some much needed variety.
Miss Emma Peel is essentially your typical rock song, it features the fast introduction, slow verse, and fast chorus pattern, a blueprint in which the majority of the record’s tracks follow.
Give could very well be the album’s most ambitious piece, but only because it includes a jam section in which highlight the keyboard and guitar. With that said however,
Give provides the record with a much needed ballad and an enjoyable one at that, with a nice surprise at the end.
If any distinction should be made between Dishwalla and another alternative rock bands, it would be the vocals of J.R. Richards. Richards is somewhat of a typical post-grunge front man, but provides the versatility and enough dissimilarity to separate himself from his peers. Richards is often utilizing a low-pitched croon, but conveys his ability to provide a soothing and quite staggering falsetto. His entrance in opener
Pretty Babies is a brilliant example; his voice soars through the choruses and soothes during the verses. Richards even screams a bit in
Explode, matching both the energy and intensity of the track.
Dishwalla is your classic case of “one hit wonder,” but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the band does not have other quality songs. What is most unfortunate about Dishwalla’s debut “Pet Your Friends” is that not much stands out, and nothing really separates the album from your typical pop/rock record. In terms of generic music in the present day, Dishwalla would prove to surpass many of those bands that dominate the charts, but for its time “Pet Your Friends” is just another record. “Pet Your Friends” is not a bad release in any right, but is forgettable.
Recommended Tracks:
Pretty Babies
Haze
Counting Blue Cars
Give
Moisture
