#ruby v

for enilasor

Rosie froze when she heard the voice behind her, the offensive stance becoming rigid from nerves. An audience?

She looked over her shoulder and smiled shyly at the stranger. "My mother, actually. I can shoot too, but a sword is more satisfying and makes for better exercise."

Malquis made sure she knew how to defend herself with a sword, knife, whatever she could get her hands on, and her fists. Was she great at it? Not as good as she was as a teenager and when she was in college, but she could still hold her own, in her humble opinion. If nothing else, she could buy time to get away and find help.

The Growlers - Chinese Fountain

Sun-soaked, booze-filled, or reverb infused psychedelic surf rock are all words that have at some point been used to illustrate the indescribable but oh-so amazing sound of The Growlers. Call it what you want, but they’ve proven to keep their audience entranced and excited to hear what they’ll come up with next. Having already given the world four previous albums and several demos from their early days, the five members bring us Chinese Fountain, an eclectic but all too groovy rendition of their new perspective and growth as a band.

Brooks’ vocals show up quickly in the opener “Big Toe”, proving that his voice only gets better with each cigarette drag. Caught off guard by the entrancing melody and guitar riff of the next track, “Black Memories”, the words “oh fuck!” came out of my mouth (meant in the best way possible) and what ensued was bliss induced non-stop swaying and grooving. And the rest as they say, is history… Try to sit still and not dance to “Chinese Fountain”. I dare you.

If you continue listening to each song you’ll find a melting pot of sounds that they’ve somehow managed to fuse so well together to form this album. A little bit of disco, an incredible use of the synthesizer, maybe a little bit of reggae (in “Going Gets Tuff”), a hint of some western vibes (in “Magnificent Sadness”) that might give you the urge to surf with a cowboy hat on and a sense of nostalgia thrown in for good measure. Even the words are so effortless with lyrics about lovers and lines like “Love isn’t easy as it seems”, “You’re never too young to feel” and “Worry’s a bully that just won’t let me be”.

Sure, this album is different than their past work and some may even argue that it’s a bigger sound, but the essence and foundation of who The Growlers are is ever present and alive: the effortless rhythm and guitar twang, rough but melt-worthy vocals and the ability to put you in the most hypnotic trance that makes you want to sway from side to side forever. That’s the thing with this band—you never know what’s coming next, but if you can be sure of one thing, it’s that you’ll have a good time.

They seem to effortlessly embody a certain indescribable magic that can’t be explained no matter how hard you try. So what exactly does Chinese Fountain sound like? I’ll stop throwing out adjectives and give it to you straight… I don’t know what happened in the duration of those forty minutes, but what I do know is that I liked it and I’m going to continue to embrace it.

If you find yourself unsure of your feelings of this album upon first listen, I suggest you lighten up, grab a beer and a lover, head to the beach and give it another chance for the melodies and sunshine to soak in. Dance a little (or a lot) and thank me later.

Chinese Fountain is out today (September 22) on Everloving Records.

Ruby V. is a photographer from California who secretly wishes she was in a punk band

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buy Chinese Fountain here

Stream Chinese Fountain here

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It’s a hazy vision,

The smoke makes it hard to see your golden eyes.

Humid air, it’s hard to breathe.

The air has become so thick,

Like the sound of your voice.

Soft, it hurts.

We’re losing control,

The world is falling behind.

We’re on our own,

We make our own rules.

I’ll do it all for you, 

You got me on your palms.

Salty skin, it’s hard to let go.

Don’t let the sun rise, let the night live on.

The moon reflects your skin, the stars make my wishes alive.

let me fall in other hands that can take care of me. 

That will keep me safe and warm.

Who will keep the memories going and glowing.

Hold me tight, don't let me fall between the cracks

and don't break my heart.

Let our love be a work of art, 

let our color stay bright.

But if our colors dull, 

I shall find a way out this deep hole,

out of your love and into a better one.

I'll find arms that will wrap around me