Wafflehouse

Neither hailing from nor inspired by the Washington grunge sound, despite the title of this disc, this band is the latest in an impressive line of punk bands that are trying to break free of the rigid restrictions of the genre and write songs that are as musically interesting and complex as they are aggressive. Like Yellowcard, My Complex, Small Brown Bike and Canada's own Choke, who may well be the innovators and leaders of this pack, Wafflehouse fearlessly makes music that is rhythmically and lyrically dynamic and challenging. A relatively young band, Wafflehouse shows great promise, if they can keep it together. The only complaints would be directed at the production, which is crude, due to the budgetary constraints of being an indie band, and their name, which sounds a little too goofy for a band with such smart music.