Guards have only been on the scene for a couple years now, but already show promise in a world that is exploding with all kinds of hybrid genres and new avenues in music. Lead by Richie Follin, the brother of Cults’ Madeline Follin, In Guards We Trust is a solid debut full-length from a New Yorker that likely isn’t going to slow down anytime soon. Follin’s new project also had quite an interesting start to say the least: after having played in the band Willowz for almost 10 years, Richie decided he needed something new and began forming his unique brand of pop-rock. With the help of his sister Madeline, (who had gained quite a following for Cults at this point), Guards were first introduced through the world of Twitter and various other social media sites. Their “Resolution of One” single was the first anyone heard of the group including myself, and was a strong, well-constructed and catchy piece of indie-pop. It opened the doors for Guards, seeing them onto Small Plates Records and starting their wave of bright and fun pop-rock. In Guards We Trust is a collection of 12 well-constructed tracks that are all addictive in their own respects. While the group doesn’t play with song structures or experiment with many new sounds, the result is still an enjoyable and retrospective look at great influences of the past.
If there is one thing that this record has going for it, it is easily its vocal melodies. While there are some interesting moments on the instruments of this record, they don’t generally run the show. On tracks like the previously released “Silver Lining”, the verses are driven by a simple guitar pattern, but are embellished by Follin’s fun-loving vocals that paint a picture of living out on the ocean (which ties really well with the cover of the record, as you can see above). “Coming True” is another single that we heard prior to the release of this record which shares similar catchy hooks but some playful guitar work to strengthen it. The bright, wailing guitars in the chorus match with Follin’s vocals nicely, making for another track that’s very easy to start singing along with.
Considering how little instrumental variety there is on this record, most songs still contain something fun or memorable. “Nightmare” acts as a great album opener with a hazy vocal build laid over a simple, but driving beat until the track explodes with emotion at the chorus. Lined by small verses and multiple choruses, this track introduces the group’s playful sound, but also how they stray from improvisation or experimentation. Group-sung choruses show up a few different times on the record including the album opener, but one of my favourite examples is on the following track, “Giving Out”. With a grand and epic chorus, the group singing really helps to make this track powerful (and in turn, very catchy).
What’s interesting to note is that on some of the tracks that use group-vocals, it’s simply Richie Follin’s voice layered onto itself. This may not be an easy thing to do live but really gives these recordings power. Songs like “Home Free”, “1 & 1” and “Not Supposed To” use this technique, which help to drive the tracks. The washy and psych-tinged “Heard the News” even features the use of call and response during the chorus, again using Richie’s voice alone. Wailing guitar tones through the use of bends show up a decent amount on In Guards We Trust as well, like in the song “Ready To Go”. They sound fairly similar to the bends used in the chorus of “Coming True”, but are matched with a different vocal melody, giving the track a different momentum. One of the more unique moments on this LP is the post-rock single “Your Man”, which not only runs at a different pace than most other songs on the record, but also features some vocals from Guards member Kaylie Church, which is a nice change.
Few instrumental solos are present on the record; there is one on the track “Home 
Free”, which only lasts about ten seconds, but this acts as an indication of how this group works. Rather than each instrument uniquely shining through the mix, each works together which gives these songs a strong sense of connection. With a good deal of musicianship under his belt, Richie Follin takes us on a trip through some of the great music of the past on In Guards We Trust. Before the release of the record Follin stated he wanted the record to “sound like it was from 1968, but also have people know that it came out in 2013”. With clean and polished production and old ideas and influences filling the cracks, In Guards We Trust is a great homage to artists of the past while still showing how great 2013 really is.