From the Vault: Washed Out “Life of Leisure”
Washed Out’s debut EP leaves you wanting more.
Good morning!
Today we’re taking a quick look at Life of Leisure by Washed Out
I’ve found myself defending Portland, Oregon, a lot in recent years.
It can be an easy target, but there is a big difference between the real Portland and the exaggerated stereotypes shown on shows like “Portlandia.” (Sidebar: Portlandia is a statue, and I’m old enough to remember it being floated up the Willamette before installation downtown.).
Likewise, it would’ve been easy for Washed Out’s “Life of Leisure” to be a stereotypical chill wave record. Cut and paste a few synth lines in, add some blurred vocals, and boom! You’ve made a record.
Luckily for us, that’s not what happened here.
For his debut, Ernest Greene (the artist behind the project) put together an EP that stands out and stands on its own.
“Get Up” kicks things off with a sound that wouldn’t be out of place in your favorite club. “New Theory” is poppier and reminds me of the boilerplate music in Caribbean resorts or high-end spas. That’s a compliment, btw.
“Hold Out” is its much more urgent, dancier neighbor on the record. It’s one of a couple of tracks that cut off abruptly, giving the record a work-in-progress feel, further separating it from the synthpop pack.
“Feel it All Around” is, of course, the theme song to Portlandia, and is fantastic.
I’ll admit to a love/hate relationship with the show, but my favorite part is this playing over b-roll footage from the Rose City. Like the song, it never misses.
Watching people make fun of a place you love can get old fast. So too, can a synthpop record. Eight seasons were probably 4–5 too many for Portlandia. 6 tracks for “Life of Leisure” are just right.
More:
The yearning-in-utero effect is strongest on woozy centerpiece "Feel It All Around". With blurry singing, cheap-sounding synths, and a humid, syrupy flow, the track suggests an 80s synth pop hit that won't come straight out and cop to itself-- or a young man in love, too tongue-tied (or too stoned?) to admit it. "You feel it all around yourself," Greene echoes. As for what "it" is, the song never says.
Click here to read the rest of Pitchfork’s take on the record.
Listen:
Washed Out| Life of Leisure, 2009
Click the record to listen on your platform of choice
Thanks for being here,
Kevin—
An earlier version of this first appeared here.
I sort of rolled my eyes at chillwave when it was at its peak but this EP was different. Washed Out, along with Toro y Moi, were definitely the cream of the crop, and his following three albums just got bolder, grander, funkier, and more psychedelic. Highly recommend seeing Washed Out live.
It’s a great EP…as an aside, I always associate Washed Out with the coming of Spotify. Both Within and Without and Spotify were released in the US in 2011. For some reason listening to Amor Fati on repeat was one of the first things I did when I first downloaded the app. In fact, the song made it into what I think was the first playlist I ever made on that platform, the creatively-named “Spotify Dinner Party”, ahead of some friends coming over for dinner. Other than the fact that I would never include an artist more than once on a playlist, I think it still holds up!
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5KemkMm8vmruOToU2eAyJZ?si=bq9wASSWRQmS03SF5fkZnQ&pi=u-vcpyDZFoREGD