Guards, Thurs 14 March 2013, Red 7, SXSW 2013

Catching them for the second time at this year's SXSW, we were really pleasantly surprised by Guards.

We'd enjoyed the first set we saw, at the Paste party, but we took to them more this time, either because they were playing with more enthusiasm or because they just just caught our mood better. It's a bit surprising to re-assess a band you've enjoyed, especially as you rarely bother seeing a band twice at the same SXSW.

Their airy, sunny pop and chiming keyboards fitted the sunny afternoon perfectly. Although the one woman singer was outnumbered by make voices, the band had a great 60s girl group sound, complete with fingerclick-style rhythms, and some catchy tunes.

Other SXSW reviews from Broken Biscuit Records:
My Jerusalem, Maggie Mae's
Dawes, Stages on Sixth
Tom Odell, Haven
Lord Huron, Mohawk
Thao and the Get Down Stay Down, Stages on Sixth
Jake Bugg, Radio Day Stage