Robbers on High Street deliver a crunchy set of genuine rock & roll spirit on their debut EP,
Fine Lines. The New York foursome refrain from going for that fashion-slick city sound made popular in the new millennium by the likes of
the Strokes and
Interpol. Honestly,
Fine Lines is a solid record because the band is tight enough to pull it off without anything other than what they're offering: cinematic lyrics soaked in surefire guitar licks from frontman
Ben Trokan and
Steven Mercado. Bassist
Jeremy Phillips and drummer
Tomer Danan accentuate
Fine Lines' elasticity, therefore suggesting that
Robbers on High Street are confident in their craft. Don't quickly dismiss it as cockiness.
Fine Lines is based more on an imaginative desire to formulate, carefully and correctly, a design that's fresh. Songs such as the majestic horn-laden "A Night at Star Castle" and "Debonair"'s dark pop flair succeed in that. "Hot Sluts (Say I Love You)" is their most glossy post-punk moment; however, it doesn't revel in it for too long.
Trokan's slight vocal gravel on this album standout is much too romantic for it to fall culprit to formulated swagger. Like
Longwave did with
The Strangest Things,
Robbers on High Street master their approach in getting a "full" rock & roll sound on
Fine Lines. Talk about the passion. ~ MacKenzie Wilson