Willowz

This album rocks. Driven by howling vocals and fast, distorted guitars, The Willowz give a breath of life into the overhyped and tired Garage Rock genre. The two standout tracks of the album (both of which appear on the Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind) offer the best oof The Willowz world. 'I Wonder' is an acoustic song with really good lyrics. 'Something' is by far the best song on the album. It just... rocks. So if you are a fan of Garage Rock, Indie, Punk or good, fast, fun music pick this album up.

To record in the garage, or not to record in the garage? That is the question.

Willowz, a trio of Anaheim teenagers, has garnered attention recently via two songs from their self-titled debut ("I Wonder" and "Something"), included by Jon Brion alongside Beck's "Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime" on the Eternal Sunshine soundtrack. First recorded in a garage, Willowz was later cut in a proper studio, but in light of the present garage pop revival, the version chosen for release was the original, carbon-monoxide tinged session.

Logging in at a riff over twenty minutes, Willowz, though not labeled as such, has to be considered an EP, implying, for this reviewer, that it should be held to a unique set of criteria less stringent than those by which LPs are judged.

Singer Richie James March, a cross between Julian Casablancas and Jack White (how timely!), spits sophomoric lyrics that touch on such universal teenage themes as flying to Mars, the overwhelming urge to "go", trying to disappear, all things "free", the lethargy of "old" people and "getting down".

Jessica Reynoza, bass player / backup singer, is a welcome change of pace, especially on raucous opener "Meet Your Demise", where she somewhat sexily sings "You're the one, Baby / Meet your demise" in a voice startlingly like (you guessed it!) Meg White's. This begs the question: If you're a fairly attractive young rocker without a vocal identity to call your own, why on Mars would you choose shrinking violet Meg as a mentor? Maybe Reynoza just wants to be popular.

"Something" is another highlight, sounding conspicuously like a lost track from The Strokes' Is This It? sessions. When March howls "Be true / You ain't got nothin' to do" the listener both cringes at the squeal of mic feedback and bobs their head along with the cheap drum and guitar backdrop.

"I Wonder" is the only ballad here, featuring lyrics that sound as though they were lifted straight out of the margins of an Algebra textbook ("I have an urge deep within me / To quit school and just be free") in a warbled falsetto against a raw acoustic guitar (And even in this lame lyric Willowz imitates The White Stripes' more interesting "I'm inclined to go finish high school / Just to make her [the mother whose heart Jack wants to warm] notice that I'm around"). While such lyrical vapidity precludes "I Wonder" from moving the listener emotionally, the track does serve as respite in an otherwise aggressive mix.

Okay, so perhaps we're being a bit hard on these kids. However familiar, the Willowz EP is a head-bobbingly good time. Despite the trite lyrics, borrowed sound and dubious musicianship, Willowz clearly are having a great time performing and that enthusiasm is not lost on the listener. If you're looking for originality or technical proficiency, you're spinning the wrong disc, but if you're here to indulge in some trashy, teenage rock, you've come to the right garage.

This charming trio has captured the hearts of Anaheim and are rocketing to everywhere. This album proves that they are the first Punk-Rock band. At no other time in music history has a band incorporated all the passion, zeal, and respect for music needed to truly define Punk-Rock. The Willowz do just this with their 20 minute album recorded in a garage. They had a studio version of this album but they decided that the garage verison sounded better. So, they released this one. It has sincere hooks that can cradle the lesser listener. They're young but that only adds to what they have. They have a lead singer with an infectious voice. They have a hot girl on base that does enchanting vocals too. And they have have a great drummer. They understand their craft and make it as enjoyable for the listener as it is for them. They haven't created a new music genre they just made a Punk-Rock album that's actually Punk-Rock.

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