Review: Within & Without -Washed Out

Washed Out’s music is genre-bending. Is it indie? Sure, but there are so many layers to indie now that one label isn’t enough. What is being known as “chillwave” is getting monster attention from hipster haunts like coffee shops and record stores to TV shows like Portlandia. Up-and-coming acts like Twin Shadow to more established ones like Panda Bear are all reaping the benefits of this new sound, but it’s Washed Out who is really doing it right –and just in time for summer.

The new album, Within and Without, is chalked full of defining chillwave beats and distortions. Blissful echoes and cascading keyboards create a dream-like atmosphere around each track. “Amor Fati” and “Before” are the shiniest beacons of pure, west coast-inspired music and will fit perfectly on any summer playlist.

The album’s standout tracks, “You & I” and the title-track “Within & Without” show Washed Out’s strengths. “You & I” pays homage to the electro-pop of the ‘90s with a slight hip-hop influence. A seductive, female spoken-word bridge livens the background of the song, punctuated with a killer synth contribution. “Within and Without” is simple, but the vocal is easily understood and the shimmering cascade of keyboards at the end makes it an album favorite.

While the record as a whole does fall to some “chillwave” clichés: overly muffled vocals, indistinguishable lyrics, and over-powering electronic distortions, the closer “Dedication” throws all rules of the genre out the window. The vocals are strong yet soft, and the piano is the perfect counterpart to the running, technologic theme. Within and Without is almost like a coming-of-age movie –it may not have an outright happy ending, but it’s hopeful. **9.0/10