The Gromble by The Gromble (EP)

The Gromble. Photo: Spencer Owens

Californian quintet The Gromble have recorded a debut EP richly laced with the dreamy charm of an East Coast evening

he Gromble are a five-piece indie-rock band hailing from California’s Laguna Niguel. Named after a character from a Nickelodeon show called Aaahh!!! Real Monsters, it would be easy not to take them seriously were it not for the fact that their debut EP is so well crafted.

From the very outset you’re hit with the feel of an end of summer beach party. Desole Pt II is awash with synth hooks and the call of the ocean. Slam is a more upbeat number, the realisation that life provides us with another chance with each rising sun. The reflective mood of sundown is continued on Creepy Jnr with its floating refrain of “Lord I’ll let myself in”.

The strongest track though is Don’t Stand A Chance, which lifts us into the sky and away from the shoreline. It’s a soaring guitar anthem which reveals the influence of The Smashing Pumpkins, even Spencer Askin’s vocals sound like Billy Corgan and it is a song that could sit on Siamese Dream without sounding out of place. The EP ends with the mindful orchestration of You Don’t Know, which concludes the EP with a glorious brass climax.

Over these five songs The Gromble have proved themselves to be a California band with a difference. With small touches, such as the vocoder outro on Slam and the journey through 90s grunge that is Don’t Stand A Chance, they have shown that they can provide the coming of age moments you seek on the beach at night, but in their own way.

Verdict: The soundtrack to your next sunset

Duncan Haskell

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