Guards

Cults contributor and Guards mastermind Richie James Follin has a nifty knack for upper-register croons and blending Black Sabbath and the Lemonheads (about time!). Unfortunately, he also has an ADD-afflicted drummer -- a positive in certain contexts, though not this one. Thus, as polished as Follin's downstrokes were, his songs took on an unhinged, ultimately sloppy feel. Still, if you could overlook the backbeat -- not the easiest thing, despite the trigger-happy smoke machine -- his burgeoning project had a promising sheen, replete with some early MGMT-style whimsy and a handful of matching galactic bars. Hopefully, Follin knows how to draft a severance letter.