Review - "Notes from a Quiet Life" by Washed Out
Washed Out returns right on schedule with another pleasantly pretty record that deserves to be heard even if it may not break from his well-established formula.
“I know you've tried, I know you've failed each time,
It's alright, keep going now, just know you're worth the fight…”
Chillwave, as a genre, had a relatively short run in the limelight. It popped up in the late 2000’s, hung around for a few years, then kinda faded quietly into the background. Washed Out has, more-or-less, done the same thing, popping up as the leading act of the scene before fading into the background of things over the years. As the glittery, unassuming, synthy solo project of Ernest Greene, Washed Out has faded, but he’s still active and still quite good at doing his thing, even if “his thing” hasn’t really changed much over the years. But maybe that’s okay for a genre that’s come and gone.
On Notes from a Quiet Life, Greene returns with much of the same strengths he’s carried for years. In all his work, (with maybe the exception of his quirky burn out-themed third album Mister Mellow, which I absolutely love) he hasn’t varied much in one direction or another. He’s found his sound, and he’s stuck with a formula that works. The strength in this strategy is that his albums always come out pleasantly predictable. The weakness in this strategy, however, is also that his albums always come out pleasantly predictable. What ends up happening with this pattern is that, when a new album drops, I put it on and thoroughly enjoy it. But after I’m done listening, I have a bit of hard time identifying one record from another.
Let me be clear, I really like Notes from a Quiet Life. It’s another solid addition in an extremely consistent discography. The standout quality of the record here is the aesthetic of his work - the album art, the record’s title, and the general instrumentation of the music. It’s clean, polished, and pretty, allowing it to sit neatly on the shelf. Neatly on the shelf right next to his other clean, polished, and pretty records. And that’s just the thing - the glittery synth melodies and drum-machine rhythms driving “A Sign” and “The Hardest Part” sound like they could have come off Washed Out’s debut Within and Without or even his sophomore effort Paracosm. This also follows for “Running Away” and “Say Goodbye.” All these tracks are excellent tracks! However, they aren’t anything new. They fulfill exactly what I hoped for from this record, but in a way that somehow leaves me feeling lacking in the end. It’s difficult to describe, really. Despite this, my opinion for this record will remain positive because it a good record. It’s just not a special record.
Now, in all this pleasant predictability, there are two standout moments that really catch my attention with each listen of the record. The first of these, “Second Sight,” features a much dimmer sound than Greene normally puts out. Where I expected things to be glittery and pretty, I instead got something muffled yet mystifying and almost meditative. It represents a step away from the typical synthy pleasantries of Washed Out. And I love it. So too is “Wait On You” a little different, featuring prominent vocal sampling. Vocal sampling was the hallmark of what made Mister Mellow what it was (among other things), but the sampling technique here is even different than that. It’s less obvious as sampling and more utilized as something to accentuate the track. It was a small move, but one that makes a difference for a Washed Out track.
Overall, Notes from a Quiet Life is an excellent record. It’s certainly one I can, and would recommend people listen to because it’s by no means disappointing whatsoever. For those who are familiar with Washed Out, however, don’t expect much of anything new. As chillwave continues its slow and quiet fade into the background, Washed Out will likely continue to ride that wave (no pun intended) and fade with it. But that doesn’t mean we’ll forget the ever-consistent, always reliable Washed Out. Greene knows what he’s doing and he does it well. And on top of all that, he’s excellent live. Even when I’m far removed from his music, I will always try to make a point of attending his shows because he really doesn’t disappoint and his talent is clear.
Overall Rating: 7.4/10
Top Tracks:
- A Sign
- Second Sight
- Wait On You