Fans of the Growwing Pains’ ramshackle, rowdy garage-punk jams were introduced to the Detroit five-piece’s fondness for power pop melodies on 2013’s 17 Songs About the Same Girl, released on local imprint Urinal Cake Records. With a new 7″ out on San Diego-based Volar Records, the band deliver four sweetly packaged songs that listeners will have no problem replaying over and over again.
With an average length of around two minutes, each track packs in as many catchy guitar riffs and keyboard runs as possible while still keeping the arrangements economical. Vocalist Zak Bratto appears at the forefront of each song, delivering blunt, honest messages. He rides the propulsive guitars of the first two tracks, “Forever and Always” and “I Always Know”, with a charismatic attitude reminiscent of King Khan or other Southern rock ambassadors. There’s a manic urgency to the A-side that prevents things from getting bleak.
On the B-side, Growwing Pains slow down the tempo a bit and give a nod to Teenage Fan Club’s lamenting guitar pop. The band’s lyrical chops and musicianship are on full display here, and it sounds as if each member put a lot of thought into constructing each track, with the result being a welcome piece of ear candy. “Raw Raw Deal” replaces most of the fuzz with jangly, country-tinged guitar. Keyboards twinkle in the backdrop, while a steady drumbeat keeps the song from becoming too downtempo.
Who knew a young band could grow so much on such a brief collection? You can order a copy of I Always Know here and listen to our exclusive stream of the EP here. For more on Growwing Pains, check out our interview with the group.