Free Friday: Guards - "Cover Songs 7 inch"

Guards is the project of Richie James Follin formerly of the Californian garage band The Willowz. Now he trades in blissful 60's inspired lo-fi mixed with New Wave/chill wave sensibilities and guests include his friends from Chairlift, MGMT and Cults. His debut EP was released as a free download on his Bandcamp page last July to great acclaim. And now he is back with a small collection of cover songs that he has released for free download as well.

On the first track on the Cover Songs 7 inch he turns Metallica's classic head-banger "Motorbreath" into a ballad with breathy vocals, smoldering guitar leads and fuzzy organs, sounding nothing like the original. Next, he puts the brakes on Vampire Weekend's "Taxi Cab" striking a new emotional chord with a slower pace and big vintage organs. The final track is a more upbeat cover of "Born Free" by M.I.A. that retains the original's abrasiveness but sounds like a lost psychedelic 60's garage rock nugget.

Download the Cover Songs 7 inch here: http://guards.bandcamp.com/album/cover-songs-7-inch

Download the Guards EP here: http://guards.bandcamp.com/album/guards-ep