Invasions

Toronto, ON's Invasions kick off their debut LP with ferocious style on "Six Six Six," ripping through the yelp-y garage rocker in just a minute-and-a-half. But the party quickly comes to a stop as second track "Time for This" puts the brakes on and reveals a band more interested in Brit-rock anthems, à la the Libertines, than the scorching surf- and blues-inspired garage of the album opener. That would be all well and good if the group could commit to one style. Mixing genres can be a quick route to new sounds, but it can also muddy the waters when done wrong. Unfortunately, the latter is true more often than not on Cult of the Half Moon. Invasions come across much stronger when they play it straight; the aforementioned opener is a highlight, as is the tempered title track, indicating that great things could still be in the making. But these moments are too few and far between.