You, Me, And Everyone We Know - Some Things Don't Wash Out Review

I’ve never considered myself one of those guys who likes a certain type of music. Whether that’s true or not is irrelevant, because the point is, it’s not style that matters. It’s the statement. As long as the musician is speaking my language, they can do it anyway they want. And that language, I've discovered, is spoken by a certain person: many people call them the underdog. I call them the person who isn’t content with what’s presented to them. They are the person looking for more at any cost; the person who is willing to improve and fight. Whether they do so over a “totally sick” metalcore breakdown, “mad nasty” sample or “slick toots” brass section varies widely, but I appreciate their drive all the same.

And although You, Me, and Everyone We Know’s main man Ben Liebsch is probably tired of the term, he is the quintessential underdog. Whether it be a love for 80’s teen comedies or just plain bad luck, he has found himself in more than a few lousy situations. And because of (insert circumstance here), Some Things Don’t Wash Out works as half album/half therapy session. With his singy/talky vocals, the economical addition of brass and strings and some super catchy choruses, Liebsch basically lays out the bumpy road of his life as a pop-rock refugee. It’s a story that is at times too personal and too music industry-centered (“Shock and Awe” and “I’m Losing Weight For You”), however the underlying feeling of rising above is more than universal. So even if I don’t know what it’s like to be pushed off tours, I know what it’s like to be unfairly overlooked. And on merely a hunch, I bet you do too.

Some Things Don’t Wash Out feels like an album written on a soapbox. It’s a mental fist-pump. Just look to the movements throughout standout “Bootstraps.” After starting sparse with the words, “I want to be uplifting for a change,” it erupts into a chorus that should go on every weird kid's bedroom wall. And whether you consider the following statement blasphemous or not, I still think this is a newer version of Say Anything’s ...Is A Real Boy, at least in terms of self-awareness (and at times, vocally). When I first heard this band on (the Max Bemis-assisted) “I Can Get Back Up Now,” I felt inspired. But that EP didn’t come through on its promise of maladjusted rock jams. But that failure is more than fixed on Some Things Don’t Wash Out; there’s song after song of catchy, intellectual angst. And smart angst is near impossible....full text For years now, You, Me, and Everyone We Know have cruised just under the radar of the mainstream, touring relentlessly and leaving their mark at events like SXSW, Bamboozle, and on Warped Tour, all the while winning over any audience put in front of them. Opening for acts as diverse as Forgive Durden, Sing It Loud, Every Avenue, Paper Rival, Four Year Strong, I Set My Friends on Fire, Valencia, and The Dear Hunter just to name a few. The band's first two widely successful and critically acclaimed releases, "Party For The Grown and Sexy" and "So Young, So Insane," were independently released and concurrently given away, and have reached the ears of nearly 70,000 people to date.

You, Me and Everyone We Know are set to head out on their own headlining tour dubbed the "Can We Do Laundry At Your House" tour to spin off their first full length release and first single "Some Things Don't Wash Out" available October 12th everywhere....full text Let’s face it: Pop rock has been on the decline for about 3 years. While the abundance of bands and exposure of the genre itself has grown to all time highs, more isn’t always merrier. Just as synthesizer slowly deteriorated the hardcore scene, people trying to make a quick buck with catchy chords have all but destroyed this genre for most fans. However, we can all breathe a refreshing sigh of relief as You, Me, and Everyone We Know have arrived with their hearts nailed not to their sleeve, but to the tips of their tongues.

From the opening lines of “Shock And Awe” it’s apparent that anything the band was holding back on their previous two EPs is going to be put on display with lines like, “And up this point I think we’ve been pretty cool about losing tours to bands with only half our pull” and “You’ve had your chance to make your peace, but now I’m gonna make sure this hurts.” It’s this unleashed, angst laden honesty that not only sets You, Me, And Everyone We Know apart from others in their genre, but ensures listeners will be continuously dropping their jaws throughout the record. Later tracks, such as “A Bigger Point Of Pride,” “Some Things Don’t Wash Out,” and “The Next Twenty Minutes” are guaranteed to be almost uncomfortably relatable to anyone in their late teens/early 20′s and even if they aren’t, the group’s wordplay will win you over regardless.

Outside of lyrics, something YMAEWK possess the ability to transcend many subgrenres of pop/rock in a way that truly sets them apart from most others in their field. No two track on Some Things Don’t Wash Out sound similar in the slightest and while that may turn listeners away from a few individual tracks, it creates an universe of sound within the album you can’t help but appreciate. From the California pop meets showtunes sound on “I’m Losing Weight For You,” to the funk filled bars of “James Brown Is Dead” or the simple folk beauty of “Moon, Roll Me Away,” there is literally something for everyone on this album. The best part? YMAEWK crafted each track to compliment the others and while they all sound completely unique, the flow is impeccable....full text