Album Review

Formerly of Bettie Rocket Records stature and just recently added to the Tooth & Nail roster, Watashi Wa (which, translated from Japanese, signifies "I am"), has come a long way over the years. The band consists of Seth Alan Roberts (vocals and guitar), Lane Biermann (drums and vocals), Roger Tompkins (bass guitar) and newcomer Luke Page (guitar). It is to be noted that all lead guitar and background vocals on the album were performed by Mike Newsom, a former member of the band. The Love of Life was released in June of this year and is an artfully-crafted piece of work that bears witness to the steady maturation of the San Luis Obispo, CA-based band. Their garage pop-rock sound has evolved a great deal since their freshman album, Lost a Few Battles, Won the War, released a mere three years ago, and continues to progress musically and emotionally as well.

The album evokes a sweet sense of nostalgia, bringing to the surface memories of summers past. It is filled with picturesque descriptions of nature, accounts of stand-still moments in awe of God, and of lessons learned the hard way. Roberts‘ resonant voice emotes a deep conviction concerning the underlying meaning of his lyrics and blends perfectly with the accompanying tuneful talent of the other band members. The melodies are simple yet catchy, reflecting a certain joi-de-vivre that is so typical of this group. One drawback to the album is the lyrical repetition of certain words (‘All of Me‘ and the words clusters on ‘Clear‘). I really enjoyed the flowing addition of piano melodies at the end of songs like ‘Everything‘ and ‘Life is Beautiful‘, two of my personal favorites on the album along with ‘With Love from Me to You‘ and ‘Her Dress‘. Blending harmonies, solid bass lines and just-right guitar effects make this album great to listen to. Watashi Wa‘s unique style falls somewhere just beyond today‘s generic pop-rock border, maintaining a crisp refreshing sound that will leave most of their audience humming along to ‘All of Me‘ and ‘Smoke Signals‘ after just a few listens.

Firmly rooted in their Christian beliefs, Watashi Wa is a band whose members are dedicated to their music and even more so to God, using their talent as a tool to reach out to those who would see past their exterior to the very heart and root of their musical calling. And as the quartet moves forward in its future touring and recording endeavors, Watashi Wa will no doubt continue to share with the world just exactly what it is they love about life through their sincere sweet-sounding melodies.