The more times change, the more they remain the same. That might be a French saying but there is some validity in applying it to electro rockers Hydrogen Skyline and their EP “Hey Sly King Drone” (is that an anagram I see before me?) for there was a time when their sound was the next big thing to be everywhere. Of course, those times are long since gone but that does not actually detract from the music produced by this Colorado Springs band.
As genres go, electro rock can be an uncomfortable one, at least to my ears, and it takes a lot for a band mixing leather trousers with sequencers to meet with my approval. The secret of success, now as then, is in the performance and, front and centre, stands Asher Skyline who uses her voice to season these songs with the necessary emotion. It is, for example, her strutting confidence that sees us through “The Sly” and her insistent laconicism that boosts “Relentless”.
There are also occasional shards of metal evident, especially in “The Leaving”, that suggest a move to guitars might be in their future but, for now, Hydrogen Skyline seem happy to keep their songs under the five minute mark. So, if you like your electro rock then light a match and go looking for Hydrogen Skyline.
Available from Bandcamp.