Casual Acquaintances is the sixth studio album from Southern California cult indie rockers The Growlers.
Following 2016’s strong but divergent City Club, which featured a slicked-up production aesthetic courtesy of The Strokes’ Julian Casablancas, Casual Acquaintances is very much a return to the band’s trademark “beach goth” sound.
The gravely voice of frontman Brooks Nielsen often sounds like it was recorded through a tin can, as the band plays its version of haunted tiki bar music, surrounded by a foggy atmosphere that alternatingly sounds like Joy Division, The 13th Floor Elevators and Nick Cave’s “Red Right Hand.” Long live The Growlers.
Score: đđđđ/5
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Ryan is a writer, editor and vinyl collector currently based in Los Angeles. He started Mini Music Critic in 2017.