2006, No Milk Records
Tomorrow Belongs To Me opens in what turns out to be an ultimately inconsistent (though undoubtedly ear-catching) sound collage of static, a soft, flowing guitar, and an essentially incomprehensible recording of a man speaking; from this point, the album shifts into a quick, "poppy-but-not-too-poppy" mindset. Mind you, it's not terribly unique feeling at this point, (which is not to say that it's unlistenable), including in the second track, "Defending the Kingdom," the expected snare rolls, a bouncy and repetitive lead guitar, a breakdown of sorts, a spat of angrily spoken vocals, and the ubiquitous hand-claps, all of which has come to be expected in this style of post-hardcore that The Bank Robbers occupy.
Ultimately, The Bank Robbers don't create a shockingly unique sound, though it isn't without its positive qualities -- namely some surprising musical elements, particularly regarding the group's skill as songwriters. On a surface level, Tomorrow Belongs To Me is certainly an album that fits in well with its ilk, but on further examination, there seems to be a real quality underlying the layers of guitars. The problem, it seems, is in the deciphering of such a quality, especially when said quality is below loud, distorted guitars and nearly-screamed vocals.
Tomorrow Belongs To Me, though certainly not a bad album, is not spectacular. The lyrics are nothing to be clamoured over, the amelodic quality of the vocals on most tracks seems forced and strengthens the tedious quality of the album, and while the omnipresent sweeping lead guitars definitely have their place in the music, but prove to be tiresome and overused. Though not a bad album at its core, Tomorrow Belongs To Me seems a difficult listen at best; even with its interspersed moments of acoustic guitar and fast pacing, its an album that, while a good start, needs some real polishing.