Good rule of thumb: side projects are only for the most hopeless of loyalists. Who else could possibly extend their patience to Ryan Adams-goes-hardcore or acoustic-folkie Tom Morello? Magnetic Morning are that rare exception to the rule, mainly because (unlike countless others) they don't come across like listless dabblers trying on new hats. On their self-titled EP, drummer Sam Fogarino (Interpol), guitarist/vocalist Adam Franklin (Swervedriver), and company sound pretty much exactly like you'd expect: mucho reverb, laconic vocals, and lots of shoegazey atmospherics. It's a more-than-fitting autumn soundtrack and a convincing defense of sticking with the blueprint.