By Brett Williams (@brettlesboy / brett614.bsky.social)
The music of Burlington, Vermont natives Robber Robber packs a lot into condensed packages. The band’s densely layered noise rock is both relentlessly harsh and impossibly catchy, and on their second album Two Wheels Move the Soul, (two tracks longer than their 2024 debut Wild Guess but two minutes shorter in runtime,) they push the outer limits of density. The core songwriting duo of vocalist/guitarist Nina Cates and drummer Zack James, accompanied by guitarist Will Krulak and bassist Carney Hemler, broaden their horizons through a collection of tightly-wound, beautifully noisy gems of modern experimental rock that showcases their devotion to the craft of music-making.
Throughout Two Wheels, the band operates in two different modes. The record’s front half is driven by frenetic breakbeats and syncopated funk patterns, like James Brown’s rhythm section was taken from the bandstand and dropped into a futuristic techno-metal setting. “Pieces” pits deep, furious basslines against fuzzy high-end guitar tones against each other in a way that recalls the heaviest selections from Red-era King Crimson. But on the back half, the record’s dark, jittery undercurrents give way to brighter, more melodic indie rock sensibilities without losing any of the energetic noisy experimentalism. On “Talkback” and “Again,” Cates showcases a punky, rhythmic speak-sing style over speedy down-strummed guitar chords, engendering the sonic image of Karen O singing with the Strokes. But throughout, the group’s unfettered commitment to danceability and rhythm is on display. At all times the quartet, whether leaning in a more straightforward direction or a more experimental one, remains entrenched in heavy groove.
The songs are also unburdened by the standard verse-chorus-repeat recipe. Cates and James seem uniquely aware of this, eager to find new ways to express their ideas and connect them. “Avalanche Sound Effect” begins with a sparse, uptempo introduction, embellished by bit-crushed percussion sound effects, before opening up into a jangly passage of intermingling guitar lines before entering a combustible, rapid-fire coda. No unnecessary ‘second verse same as the first’ silliness here - just a straight line from beginning to end.
Though the additional ammunition provided by guitarist Will Krulak and bassist Carney Hemler is an essential facet of the band’s music, Robber Robber is first and foremost a songwriting duo conscious of their artistic identity, their intent and their creative choices. And despite its often industrial sound, the music on Two Wheels doesn’t sound factory-made at all, but rather laboratory-concocted by a pair of mad scientists with an adventurous, try-anything attitude. But that’s not to say Cates and Jams haphazardly crammed all of their ideas together and called it an album. Underneath the noise, their compositions are as thoughtfully designed and meticulously crafted as any band’s - perhaps even more so. It takes a lot of work to make music as abrasive and strange as this sound so natural and organic. On Two Wheels their work shows.