The Bottom Line Dishwalla was just one of dozens of pop-rock acts in the mid-1990's to cash in on post-grunge backlash. Too bad they sucked.
Full Review
The mid-1990’s were populated by what seems like a million smiling sound-alike bands. Most had a song or two that briefly brushed the Billboard Top 20. But, today the large majority of these bands have faded into distant memory. Their songs aren’t even necessarily memorable, much less the band name or their image.
One of these one-hit-wonder bands is Dishwalla. I recall just one of their songs ever getting any airplay, and as with many other similar acts and their singles it got way too much for it’s own good. Anyway, Dishwalla is based out of sunny southern California. The darkly attractive front man is J.R. Richards (who also plays various keyboarded instruments) while Rodney Browning provides the guitar, George Pendergast plays the drums, and Scot Alexander plays bass.
Dishwalla, signed with A&M Records, formed around 1992 and released their debut album Pet Your Friends in 1995. The band was first featured on a Carpenters tribute album even before their official debut. The album managed a bit of commercial success with, Counting Blue Cars being named Rock Song of the Year by Billboard (bet you’d have never guessed that).
1998’s sophomore effort, And You Think You Know What Life’s About came and went very silently. I recall hearing no tracks from the album on radio…but then again I try to stay clear from most pop oriented rock stations. Later this month, Dishwalla is slated to release their third album Opaline. It’s likely to go unnoticed.
Pet Your Friends contains twelve relatively unremarkable pop rock tracks. There were officially three singles to the album. First released was Haze followed in order by Counting Blue Cars and Charlie Brown’s Parents. But as I said a few paragraphs earlier, Counting Blue Cars was the only one to get much attention. Not to say that there aren’t other tracks of equally questionable quality…
The fact is that I feel jilted by this album. But then again, I did purchase it as an optimistic 19-year-old. In retrospect, the album wasn’t good then and it’s certainly no better now. What Dishwalla used on this album is an age-old formula consisting of smooth vocals, rock guitars, and an easy melody. Voila…welcome to the world of one-hit-wonderdom and temporary pseudo stardom.
Counting Blue Cars may have been a “big” rock hit in 1996, but it really wasn’t for good reason. It’s my perception that listeners were looking for something lighter and more palatable in the post-grunge era. Various bands with various disposable hits occupied the limelight for some time. Dishwalla was welcomed by teens with open arms and open wallets. What more could a band want? Who needs critical acclaim? Anyway, Counting Blue Cars is probably most remembered for one line. If you remember nothing else of the song, you’re likely to recall: Tell me all your thoughts on God? ‘Cause I would really like to meet her. I suppose it’s supposed to be lightly profound, but I just see it as a nicely melodic cliché of a song. Certainly not the kind of track an artist would like to be remembered for.
Aside from that track, the album also contains two that are odes to popular culture. Both Charlie Brown’s Parents and Miss Emma Peel refer to figures from the band’s childhood. The former is a straightforward track speaking directly about the communication problems between kids and parents. The track could be a sweet little ditty, but with the occasional addition of heavy rock guitars the message seems misplaced at best. Miss Emma Peel speaks about a woman boys dreamt of worldwide from the mod crime show The Avengers. Richards does have a nice voice, but the accompanying instruments are bizarre. I don’t have any issue with songs being fun, but when they are presented in a serious matter I feel cheated. Both of these tracks are crap.
Haze was the first single released by Dishwalla. Psychedelic rhythms begin the track out relatively strongly. Once again, it seems that the band is trying to speak about some social ill…this time pain and suicide. It’s just that the lyrics really aren’t serious enough or even intelligible. I enjoy the overall musical feel of this track more than many of the others…it reminds me specifically of grunge. Otherwise, once again, this track is utterly useless.
Overall, this album is monotonous from Pretty Babies through Only For So Long. The guitars are decent and the melodies are at least moderately entertaining. But the combination of these elements with Richards’ voice doesn’t work. I’m not impressed by the songwriting or the feeble attempts at pop culture references mixed with humor. It just seems like one big joke. I suppose the album could have been worse. If Richards lacked singing talent, this album wouldn’t be any more than one pitiful star. Instead, I’m forced to give it just two and offer a recommendation to NOT buy this album for any reason. Don’t even take it if somebody offers it for free.
Track Listing:
1. Pretty Babies
2. Haze
3. Counting Blue Cars
4. Explode
5. Charlie Brown’s Parents
6. Give
7. Miss Emma Peel
8. Moisture
9. The Feeder
10. All She Can See
11. Only For So Long
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Who does Dishwalla sound like? For more talented incarnations of the sound, check out Tonic, The Verve Pipe or Goo Goo Dolls.
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