Washing Machina – “Before My Mind Wakes Up”

The cover art for “Before My Mind Wakes Up” catches your eye right away with stacked old televisions showing the title in glowing text against a strange mountain landscape under a giant floating balloon. It sets a surreal mood before you even hit play. Stockholm alternative band Washing Machina have put out a second record that builds on fuzzy guitars, heavy basslines, and catchy melodies that stay stuck in your head for days.

Starting off with “Come On”, the energy jumps out immediately with driving rhythms and sharp guitars. Sara Engström and Emilie Rösler keep the low end tight while Mark Petterson and Karl Nordahl layer on noisy guitar work. Tracks like “Debbie Lost Her Mind” balance chaotic energy with sticky hooks that make you want to sing along. When “The Top” kicks in, kinetic guitars push everything to the limit, allowing raw vocals to cut straight through the heavy noise. By the time “My Bones” closes out the record, quiet tension and honest emotion really land with full force. You can hear echoes of classic alternative rock bands like Dinosaur Jr, Pavement, and Sleater-Kinney, but the group gives those influences an edge that is completely their own, and the songs balance uncomfortable moments with sweet guitar melodies, making the whole listening experience feel both wild and deeply personal.

I completely love “Before My Mind Wakes Up” from start to finish, and it has easily become one of my favorite records to put on repeat this year. If you are hearing Washing Machina for the first time with this release, I highly recommend digging into their earlier music releases too. Their debut record “The Spontaneous Splendid” as well as their EPs “Perfect Misfits” and “Last Bag on the Belt” are full of incredible tracks that show how their signature sound came together over time.

Do yourself a favor and follow Washing Machina on their social channels and streaming platforms to stay updated on everything they have coming up for the rest of this year and beyond. They are a wonderfully creative band doing exciting things, and you definitely do not want to miss what they do next.