Washington - I Believe You Liar
Born in Papua New Guinea, raised in Australia and now based in the bustling musical hub of New York City, Megan Washington or simply known as Washington releases her debut album "I Believe You Liar".
Oozing with swathes of new wave chic and pop charisma, Washington opens the album with the stomping and sultry whirlwind of '1997'. Retaining a sense of swagger and sass akin to other female singer song writers that pack a punch such as the likes of PJ Harvey and Patti Smith, Washington has a smoking hot voice that seems to be able to level rooms as displayed in 'I Believe You Liar's lead single and video of 'Holy Moses'.
Glimpses of Washington's unique and colourful sound nod towards the likes of the Long Blondes and the Detroit Cobras with the elements of buzzing post punk and garage rock sensibilities mixed in with a good helping of the power and pizzazz of the 60s girl group sound. Indeed there is a Spector-esque charm about the boutique production especially with the swaying 'Spanish Temper' and the clever twists in lyrical content ('I've got a little Irish lift/I've got a lot of Catholic guilt', from 'Navy Blues'' being one such example) that show a young artist displaying great maturity beyond her years. On the flipside, low key affairs such as 'Underground' and 'Lover/Soldier' and the album's title track are stripped down, piano-led and almost haunting with Washington's heart being fully displayed on the sleeve, but it is done in the just right way. The lyrics are a massive focal point here and are filled with such brutal honesty but take nothing away from the prowess and quality of the songs.
"I Believe You Liar" is a catchy, pure pop record that doesn't stifle like the manufactured mainstream of late. This is a pop record that has such emotion and takes you on a journey filled with plenty of ups and downs. A great debut from an artist that has masses of potential and will able to give her contemporaries some great competition.