Froth literally started out as a fake band -- founding members JooJoo Ashworth and Jeff Fribourg enjoyed spreading stories about their non-existent group, and at one point even planned to press a blank Froth album with no music on it.

But Froth are very much a real band now, and the group's second album, 2015's Bleak, is an impressive and artful set of songs that crossbreed garage-psych melodies with massive clouds of indie rock guitar, building something furious but graceful from their fascination with the Velvet Underground and My Bloody Valentine.

The departure of Jeff Fribourg and his Omnichord gives Bleak a different flavor than their 2013 debut Patterns, but the interwoven guitar lines from JooJoo Ashworth and Cole Devine are formidable without overwhelming the tunes (or the listener), and bassist Jeremy Katz and drummer Cameron Allen keep the music anchored while the guitars take flight over it all.

Ashworth's vocals are often buried deep enough in the mix that it's hard to tell what he's saying, but the soaring, buzzy guitar sounds and propulsive force of tunes like "On My Chest" and "Saccharine Sunshine" tell you everything you need to know, and Bleak is 21st century psychedelia that wobbles when it wants to and flies high and proud when it needs to.

If Patterns showed promise, Bleak makes it plain that Froth has something special and knows just what to do, and for fans of contemporary garage-psych, this is a must.