Album Review: The Dishwasher Chronicles

The Dishwasher Chronicles were recorded in compliance with Jimmy Lobster’s corporate policy for protection of the staff and for the delight of listeners. 

This sketch comedy concept album is a modern take on the classic “odd couple” comedy pairing. High-strung restaurant manager Cecilia (Alana Johnston) is tasked with addressing continual work-related grievances committed by her employee Owen (played by Pat Thornton) a forty-five year old dishwasher whose dishwashing career is nothing but a litany of complaints. Under any other circumstances, an employer like Cecilia would terminate an employee like Owen; however, Owen just so happens to be her brother-in-law. 

Johnston’s no-nonsense delivery is balanced by an inner pain that occasionally reveals itself as Owen dances upon her last nerve. Thornton does an excellent job personifying blissful ignorance and entitlement, while his comedic strengths allow him to land well-crafted jabs such as “he wears Ferrari cologne - he smells like he’s trying to bone a sports car.”

Presented as a “found footage” assortment of tapes from the human resource department, The Dishwasher Chronicles is less of a plot-driven narrative and more of a snapshot of the everyday torment Cecilia must endure with Owen (such as causing physical bodily harm to an elderly customer… on their birthday.) With such a clear premise and strongly defined characters, should future chronicles reveal themselves before the cold light of day, I hope the workplace antics continue, and that we get to experience an even deeper exploration of the tensions between the two central characters who have effectively endeared themselves to the listener. 

The Dishwasher Chronicles was released August 20, 2021.
Listen to it here.