The term indie rock has perhaps become completely superfluous in modern music. Nobody is really sure if it means anything anymore and a vast majority of bands coming out these days somehow fit into the category in one way or another. Ten years ago, however, ‘indie rock’ as a genre was booming. In the UK in particular, bands like Bloc Party, The Libertines, The Rakes and The Fratellies ruled this realm where angular guitars, anthemic choruses, and tight, fast drumming reigned supreme.
‘Indie rock’ has filtered down into countless sub-genres in 2015 where the elements of relatively simple guitar music have been pulled apart, reimagined, electrified and irrevocably entangled. But sometimes some straight up, danceable rock is the only formula you need for a killer tune; and this is something that Sydney four piece Train Robbers know all too well.
Lust In a Time of Love sees Sydney four piece Train Robbers extending on their danceable indie rock formula, adding a layer of complexity and dynamics to an already charming facade.
Train Robbers have been relatively quiet for the better part of the past two years. Their previous efforts Suns and To End With Me saw the band channeling the smooth guitar work, snappy percussion and sunny, endearing vocals of bands like The Strokes, Last Dinosaurs and The Holidays. However, the quartet – Geoffrey, Nicon, Jared and Jamie – have spent the past 24 months wisely, investing their time in studying the art of hip-hop and figuring out ways to inject new elements into their indie rock mould. The first taste of this new incarnation comes in the form of Lust In a Time of Love, a testament to a band making purposeful change.
The new direction sees Train Robbers exploring dynamics of rhythm in greater depth on Lust In a Time of Love, adding a layer of complexity to the danceable rock framework that the band have worked within in the past. Drumming patterns shift and change with the fluidity of an ocean swell throughout the track’s three and a half minutes, drifting between bouncy 16th’s and lazy half-time. There is also an electronic edge to the track led by a subtle synthesizer that lends a buzzing undercurrent, offset by some neat, angular rhythm guitars and hypnotic, snaking leads.
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The biggest shift for the band perhaps lies in singer Geoffrey Maglonzo’s vocal. The band have confessed to succumbing to the allure of hip-hop bands like A Tribe Called Quest, an indulgence which has led to diction and pronunciation leading the fore of the vocal delivery. Lines like “…or we can meet on top of Lauryn’s hill and chill / bring a knife and kill time,” are handled with the delicacy of a rapper, but delivered with sweetness, giving the track a sugary R’n’B edge, which is by no means a bad thing (Justin Timberlake is a God).
The track is the first taste of a forthcoming EP Tails For Cheetahs, due out at the end of the year. It’s always exciting to see bands making strides to break new boundaries, and Lust In a Time of Love is a promising precursor for things to come.
