Note: this week’s music blog was “prompted” by me, but technically “written” by Grok 3. This has been one of my favorite tracks for years, and I thought Grok did a tremendous job with this assignment.
The Growlers’ “I’ll Be Around” sneaks up like a rogue orderly with a sly grin—unassuming at first, then bam, you’re hooked on its grimy, groovy grip. This track’s a masterpiece that’s somehow still kicking around the underground, a surf-stained stunner with riffs that rumble like a gurney on a bumpy ride. Brooks Nielsen’s voice—raspy, raw, and real—growls out “I’ll be around,” a promise that’s less lovey-dovey, more a gritty grunt of sticking it out. The guitars snarl and sway, dripping with dirty distortion, like they’ve been dragged through the sand and plugged into a busted amp. It’s beach goth at its best—sunburned, soulful, and stubborn as hell.
Then there’s the video, a trippy tumble through a hospital from hell. Picture this: Nielsen staggers in, nose oozing red, looking like he’s one cough from collapse. Flatline hits, lights dim—but hold up, this ain’t the end. Dude’s a ghost now, grooving through a ward gone wild. The place is a retro riot—funky rugs, warped walls, shadowy figures throwing a party while the EKG’s still screaming. It’s absurd, it’s alive, a psychedelic pulse that flips the script on the song’s steady vow. Those riffs keep chugging, a swampy soundtrack to this medical mayhem, tying the chaos to the cool.
This underrated banger’s got layers—loyalty laced with lunacy, a love song stitched into a fever dream. The Growlers don’t just play it; they plaster it with personality, from the gritty guitar growls to the hospital’s hazy hijinks. It’s a trip worth taking, a masterpiece that deserves more ears. So crank it up, let the riffs rattle your ribs, and ride this weird ward all the way out.
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