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This is one of my favorite rock albums. Many persons think of Dishwalla as a one-hit wonder, only knowing about their hit, "Counting Blue Cars." That is a shame, because they offer some of the best melodic rock, accompanied by J.R. Richards' crisp vocals. Highlights for me are "Today, Tonight," "Angels or Devils," and "Every Little Thing." This is great chill-out music and what I believe to be Dishwalla's best album.
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Dishwalla was a band that achieved stardom in the 90s with 'Counting Blue Cars' (which was one of the most-played indie radio songs of that year). Yet, when Dishwalla released 'Opaline' in 2002, their popularity was already in sharp decline. For reasons unknown, 'Opaline' did not turn that trend. Because 'Opaline' is by far the best album Dishwalla has ever released. Gone are the jarringly disjointed songs of old, replaced by truly mesmerizing tunes that carry the same theme from begin to end. Perhaps it failed to make an impact because it is much more melodic and much less aggressive than their previous and later releases - something that their fans did neither expect nor like.
Still, 'Opaline' contains two true masterpiece tracks that rival anything released in the past decade: 'Angels or Devils' is a song that immediately draws you in, with an irresistible mix of acoustic and electric guitars, that complements JR Richard's voice perfectly. The other masterpiece is 'Home', which exemplifies a soul's sadness -- expressed as music. Few other songs manage to express longing, solitude, and a desire for comfort as exquisitely as this song.
But 'Opaline' holds more than just two songs that will forever leave marks on your heart: 'Somehwere in the Middle' is another immediately likable song that stays remarkably fresh even after repeat listening. Also worth mentioning are 'Every Little Thing' and 'Mad Life', which initially are less accessible, but will linger in the back of your mind endlessly. The remaining tracks are all well above-average, yet pale in comparison to Angels and Home.
As with their previous albums, Dishwalla's lyrics are a mixed bag. While 'Counting Blue Cars' had one of the most memorable lines of the past decade, many of the earlier songs didn't mesh lyrically (especially 'Charlie Brown's Parents', which appears lyrically completely detached from the melody).
All songs in 'Opaline' much better match mood and melody. For example the lines in 'Home' match perfectly Richard's weary voice and the weeping of his guitar. While not profound, the lyrics finally are gratifyingly accurate in expressing what the song is about.
For those people who like melodic independent rock 'Opaline' is a true must. With perhaps the exception of Reamonn's 'Beautiful Sky' there is no other definite indie melodic rock album.
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funny, i always recommend this album to friends (although most of them refuse because of fear of the unknown), and i would say it is in my top 10 albums ever, alongside silverchair's diorama, the used's self-titled first album, and 8 stops 7's in moderation to name a few. all the songs are very melodic and it's a beautiful album to listen to no matter what you are doing. my favorite song by far is "drawn out."
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Dishwalla has to be one of the most underrated alternative rock bands in the US. Their hits "Counting Blue Cars" & "Charlie Brown's Parents" were great songs but not, imo, representative of the kind of artistry & depth I'm hearing in Opaline.
Most CDs have dead tracks - tracks that don't make my listening cut, tracks that are boring. Opaline doesn't just NOT have any dead tracks - ever single track is actually gorgeous, beautiful, magic. There are very few CDs that have impressed me this much. I found myself amazed every time a "winner" track ended... & then the next track was a winner too.
This may be the best Dishwalla CD, & that's saying a lot.
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As good as some of their earlier albums. I know it's not new, but I didn't have the possibility to buy until now. You now, Dishwalla are not that big outside US, so I (livining in Sweden) didn't know it existed until I did some random web-searching some time ago. I've been in love with their music ever since my time in the US (studying). I'm glad that they are still going strong!
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