Formed in 2012 and signed to Wind-up Records in 2013, The Griswolds continued its meteoric rise to Indie stardom in 2014 with the release of its first album Be Impressive in August. And impressive it was. Tremendously impressive. The Sydney-based band’s infectious style of sticky pop tunes that beat around your mind like a maniacal drum circle is simply unavoidable. Unavoidable. This might be the best one-word description I can give to the #9 song on the Music Court’s top 10 countdown: “Beware the Dog”
The first song vocalist Chris Whitehall and lead guitarist Daniel Duque-Perez wrote together, “Beware the Dog” combines an odd lyric with a Spanish-style beat carried by an unavoidable guitar riff; there is that word again. Seriously, though, just listen to that riff: simple, clean, and catchy as heck! The song moves with creative percussion and island synth, but perhaps most impressive is the choral call and response that peaks with the wonderful line:
“We used to walk where the wild things grow
But now you’re f**king crazy.”
The song continues with chants at the bridge and a culmination of all instrumentation and vocals that wraps up the song wonderfully. It’s a ditty in every sense of the word, but one that drips with true melodic weight and a mixture of lyrical sarcasm and seriousness. Put simply, the song is enjoyable and as catchy as the cold, but it is a cold you just want to keep getting. If this is what 2014 held for the Griswolds, I for one cannot wait for the upcoming years!
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