Watashi Wa was a whim. Having recently been impressed with the quality of bands such as The Juliana Theory, Further Seems Forever, and Anberlin, I took a chance on Watashi Wa seeing as how they are (or in TJT's case, were) on the same label. To say the least, I was not disappointed.
Watashi Wa play a brand of mature, catchy pop rock not too unlike recent Goo Goo Dolls or maybe a less whiny Matchbox Twenty. Strong hooks; fine, soothing vocals; and a superb sonic mix makes The Love of Life an enjoyable listen from start to finish. Any given song could make its way onto any pop radio station in America. Well, actually, it's too good for pop radio in America. Watashi Wa has heart, feeling, substance, and realism and that pretty much goes against almost anything on pop radio, so forget I said that. Seriously.
The opening track "All of Me" could be a bigger hit than Jimmy Eat World's "The Middle." This song is pop perfection! Everything from the lyrics to the vocal delivery to the thoughtful lyrics just ooze quality. "With Love From Me To You" is a song I could listen to over and over, everyday, and never get tired of. A soothing, mid-tempo rhythm combined with a heartfelt melody and more great lyrics make for one unforgettable tune. "Always Is A Place" has great energy without losing any of its pop sensibilities. In reality, there isn't a weak song on this album. If you're into any of the aforementioned bands, or even if you're not, you owe it to yourself, and your CD collection, to own this album.
In a perfect world, where ice cream never melts, where kittens never grow into mean cats, and where Reality TV doesn't exist, Watashi Wa would be a multi-platinum band loved and admired the world over. This world should be so lucky.
4.5 tocks
Other coverage for this album
Decapolis August 2003Reviewed by Kriss StressSo I was talking to my good friend Josh the other day, amidst the chatter of other tables in a pizza parlor, about the current state of modern rock on both the local radio stations of our fair city (Atlanta) and our nationwide radio stations abroad. I was like "Yeah man, there's some pretty good stuff starting to get mainstream recognition. Bands like Glassjaw and such who have worked for quite…Similar sounding releases
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