Fifth Growlers LP City Club feels distantly familiar. Dirty psychedelia and surf rock elements remain, tied together by Brooks Nielsen’s drunken, raspy drawl, but it’s matured. Less noise, more synth, and slight whispers of Strokes 2001 abound, fitting since the latter’s Julian Casablancas produced. Consistently knee-bending, the opening title track teases nostalgia with fuzzy guitar then cuts sharply to cleaner strings without losing its retro. Slower, darker selections are abundant (“Night Ride,” “Blood of a Mutt”), but grimy and groovy dance anthems overshadow (“Dope on a Rope,” “Neverending Line”). (5:15, Miller Lite stage)

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This article appears in October 6 • 2017.

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