And You Think You Know What Life's About

And You Think You Know What Life's About is a title full of import. It signals that Dishwalla wants to be taken seriously and not dismissed as a one-hit alterna-wonder. Similiarly, the record is filled with self-conscious moody sounds and lyrics which suggest more than they truly offer. Tempering their post-grunge template with synths, drum loops and swooping noise, Dishwalla has offered an album that is sonically different than Pet Your Friends, but they essentially offer the same type of songs. Consequently, What Life's About winds up sounding a little samey -- a problem which isn't helped by the lyrics, which are either portentous or a little self-serving. Despite these problems, Dishwalla still comes through with a handful of strong tunes -- it's just not enough to avoid a sophomore slump.