Bandit is a melodic band whose weighty guitar rock is inspired by bands from the early millennium. Their debut, “Of Life,” is an impressive feat from the young band, as it is solid from front to back. All nine tracks use a pervasive quiet-loud-quiet method that yields big payoffs in crushing breakdowns.

Drummer Charles Miller can hit with the weight of an apocalyptic marching band, but also manages to provide relief from the otherwise constant crescendo. Within these breaks, vocalist and lyricist Angela Plake allows her gorgeous voice to take hold. She soars over thunderous, war-worn rhythms, and sweetens up the crashing waves of distorted guitar noise. Plake is lyrically very sharp. She doesn’t feign vulnerability, but cleverly dishes out phrases in a powerfully brooding tone, contemplating each syllable before producing it. This slow-burning vocal delivery is the perfect complement to Dan Bishop’s saturated, scorching guitar work.

Bandit dip their toes in shoegaze, but focus on melody more than others in the loosely-defined genre. They brush off the tendency to get bogged down in noise for its own sake; rather, they know how to turn up the volume knob without sacrificing the subtle moments that make each song great.

Watch them perform cuts from the debut on Audiotree Live.

Session Tracklist
1. Pushing
2. Through the Glass
3. Brain
4. Losing in a Sense
5. Of Life
6. Forgetting Days
7. The Drive Home
8. Dragon

Band Members
Angela Plake – Guitar and Vocals
Dan Bishop – Guitar
Blake Wooten – Bass and Vocals
Jordan Mcgee – Drums

Visit the band’s website

For our friends who live in countries where YouTube is blocked, watch the session on Vimeo.