Album Review: The Growlers Chinese Fountain Jazmine O'Sullivan

Imagine this: The Growlers – predominantly known for their jangly brand of surf-goth shanties – do disco. And it works! This is true of the title track to their fifth album, Chinese Fountain, and it’s not the only surprise genre you’ll hear. Subtle snippets of reggae, funk and pop crop up in the mix, all working to elevate their signature swag to a new level (fronted, of course, by Brooks Nielsen’s endearing yet self-deprecating lyrics). Chinese Fountain is exactly the move The Growlers had to make to prevent their sound from becoming stale and its execution is sublime.