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Probably my most favourite SY album. There's a unique feeling in the sound here that I haven't found in any other album of theirs, I actually wish they'd go back to this kind of material a bit. I used to dislike Panty Lies, but it has grown on me and I really like it now, like the rest of the album.
Of the songs in here, Becuz is a perfect opener that shocks the listener just enough to prepare what's coming afterwards. Junkies Promise is great rock, with an odd arrangement.
No Queen Blues is one of my top 5 SY songs for sure, a unique noise-blues experiment, and Thurston's vocals on it are great just like on the rest of the album (what is it with his singing that people don't like?).
Washing Machine is one of the grooviest SY songs I know - whenever I need some music to lift my mood up, it's either this one or Teenage Riot. It starts with an incredible interplay of guitars, with one of them chasing after the other but never catching up, and the transition that brings the song into the instumental part and the solo might be the best SY moment ever, really a great composition.
Lee's best songs are here in my opinion, in particular I love Saucer-Like.
Kim's voice sounds much better on WM than on many other albums in my opinion, and her "style" is truly amazing here and probably the last time it felt so effective. The main problem with this is that most listeners will look for "beauty" in vocals, especially female vocals. Call it artsy, maybe a bit pretentious, but it's incredibly powerful, and at its top on this album.
Little Trouble Girl also requires an open mind in my opinion. Once you do let it flow without expecting noise and rock at all costs, it's quite beautiful, just like Unwind. Is there anything more peaceful? And it certainly isn't boring or sleep-inducing: the interplay of the 3 guitars is lovely and could keep me awake forever. At the same time, both of these songs bring an odd but beautiful feeling of uncertainty.
There isn't any track on Washing Machine that I'd skip. The instrumental untitled track kind of "closes" the album in a SgtPepperish way, and much like on that album, the album moves on to its most epic song, The Diamond Sea, which hopefully doesn't require any explanation: 20 minutes of sonic delight.
In my opinion, it was their masterpiece of the 90s, and despite loving (almost) every single one of their records, I find the same depth only in Daydream Nation and Murray Street.
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