From what I've seen of their shows, folks certainly get rowdy when These Are Powers are onstage, but it's not that the band trades in songs designed to tempt the masses to move. The best of the band's songs aren't substanceless pop offerings; they simply thrive on a type of primal energy. The problem with the six-song Taro Tarot EP is the few times when the band's experimental tendencies -- which often make the good songs good -- interrupt the incredible energy that is the EP's greatest resource.

These Are Powers' seemingly directionless, pounding noise is fairly entertaining, and it becomes kind of epic on "Peel Some Off." But tracks like "Untitled (Garbage Bird)" uncover the band's lack of clear intention, and they temper the energy where it should be building.

One drawback about making this kind of music is that cohesion matters a lot more over the course of an album.  Annie or Robyn can throw a bunch of single-worthy tracks together on an album and have it be well received, but if a band's going to come at us from left field, we have to know they mean it.