It’s very rare that I enjoy a female fronted band. Call me a sexist but I just can’t get into the high pitched singing. There are the rare instances, however, that a band like We Rob Banks will come along. This particular band happens to be coming right out of Melbourne, Australia. I had heard good things about this five piece rock band so I decided to check out the new EP The House of Gonzo. I wasn’t expecting much so I was caught off guard when I found myself tapping my foot along like I’ve been a fan since they formed.
The instrumentation isn’t as heavy as you’d find in a lot of modern rock bands but in fact is very Paramore-esque or perhaps even akin to that of Evanescence. They are exactly what you would expect to find with female fronted vocals. The intro guitar riff in the first song “Porcelain” is extremely catchy and the kind of tune that will get stuck in your head. In fact, I could say the same for every song.The drumming by Jeremy Park is clear and the snare really stands out, keeping perfect rhythm. Another thing that I must commend is the use of synth and other abstract instruments to maintain variety and really keep a vibrant atmosphere, especially in the song “Headlights”.
Of course the main attraction to this band is the vocals. Rebecca Hammond executes her singing performance flawlessly on every track. The highs and lows that she does are spot on and sound great with the rest of the music. She even begins to sound similar to Hayley Williams on the track “Time To Look Away”.
This band would not be what it is without Hammond’s vocals and her vocals would not be as breathtaking without the rest of the band. The songs that this band has created are the type that you will not be able to get out of your head. Although some of the EP tends to drift to a slower and more boring level in the middle this is still a great release. All of the band does their job astoundingly and The House of Gonzo is a work to show off proudly. My favorite tracks are “Headlights”, “Porcelain”, and “Black Market Love”. I can safely say that We Rob Banks has become one of my guilty pleasures in the female vocalist department.
