Robbers On High Street

Grand Animals

[3/5] These New York indie rockers are a tough lot to pin down. First, they get everyone hot and bothered by sounding all Strokes-like on their debut EP, only to expose their love of pop with the ensuing full-length, Tree City. Now they change it up further, enlisting Italian composer Daniele Luppi (known for making some of Gnarls Barkley’s tunes so weird) as a producer. He mostly adds slight flourishes while the three-piece settle into a Kinks/Beatles/Supergrass vibe. But he also helps the band go weird: "Guard At Your Heel" sounds like a smoky Tom Waits number (tuba and all), while "Your Phantom Walks The Hall" is nouveau pop-meets-luau. Enjoy it while you can; who knows what Robbers On High Street will sound like next. (NEW LINE/SCRATCHIE) JR Griffin