California rock band The Growlers released their third album, Hung At Heart, on January 22, 2013. In a mellow blend of psychedelic rock and off-the-wall lyrics, the album progresses solidly with a few standout tracks. Some are darker, like Salt on a Slug, a meandering melody complete with plenty of artsy feedback. Others, like One Million Lovers, balance a more upbeat melody with lead singer Brooks Nielsen’s gravelly vocals.

Originally Hung at Heart was supposed to be produced by Dan Aurbach of the Black Keys, but eventually The Growlers ended that collaboration and finished the production themselves. Perhaps a Dan Aurbach version would have been more polished-sounding, but the end result does not sound patchy or unfinished- rather, the easygoing style compliments the roughness of the vocals and the skittish drumbeats.

The album itself is not especially groundbreaking, but instead it sounds as if the band is thoroughly comfortable delivering their unique brand of surf-goth from behind their reverb effects and a twangy bass. None of the songs really call for more than nodding your head to the beat, but The Growlers’ trademark laid-back style pulls you in regardless. Drummer Scott Montoya blends African rhythms with ’60s pop beats, and guitarists Matt Taylor and Kyle Straka keep a throbbing pace throughout. Then every so often a poignant lyric or two jumps out, like “But I know your heart is artificially sweet” in Living in a Memory, or occasionally Nielsen forgoes lyrics for a haunting wail, like in Pet Shop Eyes.

Overall, the album balances pleasantly disorienting effects with a steady beat and intoxicating vocals to create an appealing compilation. At first listen Hung at Heart sounds like an ordinary garage-rock album, but a closer look reveals it to be a quality garage rock album, and that makes all the difference.

6/10