As far as mid-to-late-1960s sounding acts go (given the high quality of some of these groups, labeling them revivals feels a bit harsh), lately we've been really lucky. Last year boasted King Khan & the Shrines' What Is?!, a record that, despite its unwavering retro garage rock/soul bent, was more fresh and fun than just about anything else released in 2007. And the beer-swilling, raucous kids in Atlanta's Black Lips attained international notoriety (and success) as go-to guys for unhinged rock antics. Enter New Jersey's the Black Hollies, a recent addition to the seemingly endless crop of bands obsessed with Nuggets-era dusties. But Casting Shadows leans far more toward the psychedelic than either of the aforementioned bands. Singer-bassist Justin Angelo Morey, who looks like he stepped out of a Who album cover circa 1965, sings phrases like "pleasantly stoned," "open your mind" and other trippy lines through a reverb-drenched mike. The guitars create a wall of tremolo and fuzz, and occasionally a sitar enters the equation. Tight foot-stompers "Paisley Pattern Ground" and "That Little Girl" find the band at its best. Too bad the guitar freak-outs, though appropriate for a 1960s flower power vibe, often sound more cheesy than organic. For now, though, it's a band we're pumped to check out when they roll into town. If the Hollies can convince us on record next time around, we might just feel lucky again.

-- Tim Lowery