What's up with the album cover? Seriously!? This was the first Sonic Youth album I didn't purchase the moment it was released. In fact, I've never owned it before now. I've heard it many times before, but I never got into it. The only song I truly loved from this record was Little Trouble Girl, but that's mostly because I enjoyed Kim Deal's (of the Pixies) contribution. Her smooth vocals fit the song's melancholic vibe. The rest of the album doesn't sound like anything new however and this is what disappoints me a bit. I can't blame Sonic Youth for being who they are and playing their signature sound, but on Washing Machine, I get the impression they are rehashing old ideas. The only truly high point of the album, according to me is the last ten minutes of The Diamond Sea. You can really feel how the group let loose here and do what they do best (and should do more of): walls of fucking intense noise!