Posted on: March 12, 2009 Posted by: anfnewsacct Comments: 0

The Bank Robbers play a brand of emo that has been popular for a few years ago, following from the trends of both acts like Alkaline Trio and Hawthorne Heights. The disc’s opening (full) track is “Defending The Kingdom” and it feels as if The Bank Robbers already have the formula down for their first big radio hit. “Making Promises” is more of the same, with the guitars and vocals striking off in their own way. However, while the track is again ready for radio, there is nothing present that makes this CD absolutely essential for listeners to pick up.

The only thing that is qualitatively different with the follow up track is that the time signatures are messed with, allowing the vocals to gain an otherworldly feel that will stick with listeners far after the track ends. The harder edge of “I Can Make You Disappear” is another shift for The Bank Robbers, but again, there is little that brings the track out from the masses.

The first unqualified hit for The Bank Robbers occurs almost halfway through “Tomorrow Belongs To Me”. This track is “Believe Everything”, and the vocal harmonies tie themselves to an interesting guitar line to push this track to the finish line easy. The disc ends well before the forty minute mark, but what is the effect that The Bank Robbers have made on the music scene? A number of the tracks are interesting and work out in their own way, but there are only a paucity of tracks here that could conceivably have a second life on video or radio stations. “Spirit of the Stairway” is a track that could break The Bank Robbers, but the production of the track fails a little bit. The shrillness of the guitar’s feedback as it the vocals start back up cause a dissonance that obscures all the nuances of the vocals. “The Sound of the World” is a much more approachable track, as the band pushes all the fury they can muster into this one track. The back and forth of the vocals during the track works well in this track, as well as “The Truth Is Rarely Pure”, shows that the band can learn new tricks, even as the disc starts to wind down. The band struggles early but strings together a number of a hits on the second half of this track to make individuals curious about what the band still has up their sleeves.

Top Tracks: The Truth Is Rarely Pure and Never Simple, The Sound of the World

Rating: 5.9/10

[JMcQ]

The Bank Robbers – Tomorrow Belongs To Me / 2006 No Milk / 11 Tracks / http://www.thebankrobbers.com / http://www.nomilkrecords.com / Reviewed 04 October 2006

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