Robbers on High Street successfully blend the mesmerizing riffs of the guitar with heartfelt and honest lyrics on their long-awaited debut album, "Tree City."
The 13-track debut manages to balance refreshing and infectious beats with profound and inspiring words that the listener can instantly identify with.
Inspired by the Beatles, the quartet from New York City is not caught up in the colossal return of synthesized beats; rather, their debut proves to echo the emphasis on instrumentation that their predecessors coined.
The cool and soulful voice of singer/guitarist/keyboardist Ben Trokan is complimented by the impeccable talents of guitarist/vocalist Steve Mercado, bassist Jeremy Phillips and drummer Tomer Danan.
The album was produced by the band in collaboration with Peter Katis, who has worked with familiar rock acts such as Interpol and the Get Up Kids.
Unlike many other bands, each member of Robbers on High Street contribute to the creative song-writing process, and the chemistry among the members is apparent in the smooth, flawless depth of the instruments and vocals.
The band members triumphantly combine powerful tracks in which instruments are emphasized with tranquil ballads that are like the calm after the storm.
The album begins with a bang as the opening track, "Spanish Teeth," delivers an appealing contrast of bubbly upbeat melodies and solid guitar chords.
It practically encompasses the pace of the album as it switches from exciting and frenzied to calm and serene all within the same song.
The mystifying instrumental bridges in such tracks as "Descender" and "Dig the Lightning," deviate from the overall atmosphere of the album, and offer a tremendous insight into the diverse capabilities of the band.
The album transitions into a lighter mode with such tracks as "Hudson Tubes" and "Montefiore." The piano, in combination with the swaggering voice of Trokan, is reminiscent of times when real music actually ruled the airwaves.
Don't be fooled by "Love Underground," which at first listen is comparable to the rhythm sections of music by the Strokes, because Robbers on High Street clearly establish their own musical ideas with humor and freshness in the inventive track "Japanese Girls."
The album is definitely worth the wait. It does not cease to keep the listener's attention with the variations of soft melodies with darker rock beats.
The debut, "Tree City," by Robbers on High Street proves to be a recipe of sweet, enveloping music that allows you to experience nearly every emotion, simply by listening to the honest and amazing combination of vocals and instrumentation.
