Acoustic EP- The Griswolds

The Griswolds are an indie band out of Sydney, Australia. They reached quite a bit of success simply on the merit of their music, as they did not have a label at the time. They were also featured on the FIFA 15 soundtrack, which added to their commercial success. The Griswolds are a tight-knit group of guys; they have already played shows in many parts of the world and will be visiting even more in the near future. I first heard their single "Beware the Dog", and that led me to look up the band and I instantly became obsessed. I am also bugging them (especially the lead singer and rhythm guitarist Chris Whitehall) on Twitter, where they will occasionally reply and leave me screaming from excitement.

This EP includes seven songs, all acoustic. Five of the songs are off of their debut album Be Impressive, then there are two covers: "Anna Sun" by Walk the Moon and "Doses and Mimosas" by Cherub. There is a lot of whistling featured on this album, done by the always amazing Mr. Whitehall, which it adds a little something extra to each song and creates a sound that is different from most acoustic albums. I have a love hate relationship with acoustic albums, because while I enjoy the acoustic sound, I often feel like the song loses something and doesn't sound white right; with this EP, I feel like I'm gaining something. Instead of just playing the original song on acoustic instruments, they change up the song a little bit so it sound like that is the way the song was meant to be played in the first place.

The Griswolds have very passionate and meaningful lyrics, but the acoustic versions of these songs allow you to fully appreciate them. The guitar is just prominent enough to add to the songs, but doesn't overpower it. There is a slight percussion in the background that keeps the beat of the song, and grounds the album so you can still tell how the song is supposed to sound without all of the original elements.

The cover of "Anna Sun" by Walk the Moon is one of my favorite tracks on the EP. It starts with just Chris singing with a gentle guitar backing. I love how you can hear his accent when he's singing, and it's even more noticeable on the acoustic songs. About halfway through the song he starts whistling with the guitar and it takes the song in a different direction without losing the sound they had before. The guitar picks up and becomes a little bit louder after that; this adds to the feeling and emotion of the song. The song ends with "this house is falling apart" without an instrumental backing, and I feel like that is the best possible way it could've ended.

The Griswolds are about to go on their first American headlining tour, "The Excellent Adventure Tour". I'm hoping they add a Salt Lake City date to the list, but they're heading to most other major cities. They have a bright future ahead of them and they are currently working on making some new songs that are sure to be amazing. Not only are these guys extremely talented, they have never been anything but polite and kind to everyone I have talked to; besides the occasional sass from Chris or Danny (guitarist and synth). Tim (bassist) and Lucky (drummer) are total sweethearts almost all the time. They are wonderful people who love their fans and have been able to create a family where everyone loves and looks out for one another; it's really a special thing.

The Griswolds' Website
Buy the Acoustic EP