Album Review: The Growlers – 'Natural Affair'

The Growlers return with an 80s disco infused garage album.

If you have never listened to The Growlers, but love 80s inspired indie rock, then Natural Affair is the album for you. The Growlers latest album, ‘Natural Affair’ is 80s infused garage rock with a nod and a wink towards disco funk. You can hear this on ‘Social Man’ and ‘Stupid Things’; the latter consisting of a Nile Rodgers style guitar riff.

For fans of The Growlers, ‘Natural Affair’ shows just how good the band are at branching out to other genres, yet maintaining the ‘beach goth’ sound that we are accustomed to and love, in particular Brooks Nielsen’s vocals. He continues to sing soulfully with a dash of melancholy (check out ‘Coinstar’). Its gritty yet tuneful. The band play feel-orientated music, with a focus on rhythm and melody than flashy virtuosity. ‘Shadow Woman’ takes an 80s spin on an almost reggae beat, and ‘Truly’ exhibits a Smiths-esque minor jangle over a disco beat.  Album closer ‘Die and Live Forever’ is a very, very good tune. The band complement each in delivering a powerful performance without the aggression. It lies solely in the delivery and the melodies.

The Growlers are doing what they do best on ‘Natural Affair’ – writing feel good songs that you can’t help but shake your hips and stomp your feet to. But they execute with passion and meaning, and with fantastic musicianship underlying it all.

Words by Matthew Brocklehurst

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