by Kris Handel
Wild Guess is technically the first release from Burlington, VT quartet Robber Robber, although Nina Cates and Zack James have been kicking around the Northeast “scene” for roughly a half-decade and the band have released two EPs under a different moniker. With this album however, the group has truly found their footing in pulsating shards of post-punk noise with an impressive grasp of melody and a loose groove that ends up pretty intoxicating. James' drumming is a skittering and powerful beast throughout the record and each song allows him to showcase his very flexible and impressive skills on the kit, while Cates' vocals simmer and brood alluringly, carrying a sense of a mischief. The group manages to stay grounded with a strikingly furious punk foundation while mixing in unique song structures and the knack for combining sharp tones and playful exchanges that jump out of the speakers.
On a track like "Mouth," Robber Robber start off with a bit of reverence for the reverb and distortion of bands like My Bloody Valentine and Swervedriver before breaking down into a dark and haunting minimalism driven by James' drumming and the occasional piercing burst of Cates and Will Krulak's guitars. The mix of dynamics and fiery guitar excursions mesh perfectly to show they’re a band that isn’t here to mess around or play nice which is strikingly apparent. "Backup Plan" finds James firing off rattling snare hits as Carney Hemler slips in bombing bass notes and the duel guitars ring and pull at each other cyclically while Cates’ vocals beckon exquisitely. The band manage to come off with a track that treads the path of a slightly more grounded Palm with a knack for the stormy melodies of a band like Wednesday, a mix that proves to be luminescent and inescapable.
"Dial Tone" is full of skittering and shuffling drumwork from James as the vocals are sharply delivered and there is a hectic approach that mixes the fury of punk and the rhythms of more aggressive electronic foundations. James really announces himself as a powerhouse of the drums as he furiously hammers away in rapid fashion across his kit with some truly impressive fills that are relentless and work ever so well with the squealing guitar tones. "Seven Houses" is another maelstrom of a song as guitars splice in and out and Cates' vocals swoon poetically over the pounding aggression of the band to create a hypnotic and somewhat otherworldly song that shows the great range Robber Robber are so capable of playing with and a charm that will not go away quietly.
These songs are truly gripping in different way. The fact that no matter the direction, the music remains intensely exciting and adventuresome should be loudly appreciated. Robber Robber have crafted a distinctive record that will take you down some truly astonishing alleyways and environs filled with unmistakable passion. Wild Guess is an intoxicating journey from a very exciting band, a record that is full of adventure as well as being a completely absorbing listen. Everyone who had a hand in creating this record deserves to take a bow for putting something filled with remarkable creativity and joyful abandon into this universe.