With Rob Farren on vocals and keys and Colin Behram on drums the pair craft a buoyant aural tapestry that succeeds in being much thicker and warmer than one would think possible coming from only two people. “Islands” is a great example of the groups effectiveness with Colin’s rhythms serving as a sea for Rob’s keys and vocals to skim over.
"Juxtaposed to the title of the song, Isle of Rhodes’ 'Islands' is far from an isolation inducing track. The song has a very simple and powerful delivery. The lyrics are super straight forward about how truly unified man by taking a few steps back and viewing the cycle of life overall. It’s true folks, we’re all connected like the interwebs. The goosebumps usually kick in when the chorus screams 'and no man is an island'."
"Remember those songs that make you an instant fan of a band?
HERE'S ONE BRO!
Islands...is fucking magically delicious. Every single instrument playing on this track is just fucking going in. This feels like Kings of Leon under a stoned Andrew Bird flinging around their talents like testicles on a pantsless gym coach hanging sideways off of a merry go round going at mach 3 speeds bro.
If you aren't instantly in love with Isle of Rhodes, you are probably a piece of shit and should be banished to my acquaintence list on facebook bro. NICE KNOWING YOU BRO."
"[This] EP should bring in quite a few new fans of Isle of Rhodes. I fell in love with them when I first heard their first single from Affirmation Caravan called Islands, and listening to the whole EP has drawn me in even further."
"Wistful, engaging, and damn catchy."
"This duo is fantastic. Coupled with well written songs and carried out keys and drums, Isle of Rhodes’ sound will have you at inspired. This indie rock and roll steam engine consisting of Robert Farren on keyboards and vocals, along with Colin Behram on percussion, bring back the importance of unique song layers that hold up solid vocals with rosy instrumentals."
"Isle of Rhodes is one such band that engages with the quirky but cool side of Brooklyn. They have a fun up beat sound that will make any grumpy old man tap his feet. Though it may be apparent from their title, Isle of Rhodes is centered around a rhodes, which is an old electro/mechanical keyboard. The bands lead performer Rob Farren is an extremely passionate musician, whose musical influences ranging from Mozart to Radiohead add to the group's killer sound. Their music is familiar but keeps you wanting more. "
"From opener 'Oceans' to the stomping 'Eyes Like The Sun,' Farren paints a world of surf and sand where one experience melts into the next, and innocent pleas against change get washed away with the next tide. Wherever Isle of Rhodes take you, it's usually an elevated place to match the screeching alto Farren has mastered."
"First up were Isle Of Rhodes, a two piece band consisting of drums and a piano that blew my mind. Reminding me of a mix between Marco Benevento's psychedelic tones and Placebo's sheer emphasis, this duo was extremely enjoyable to watch. "Tic Toc", "So In Love", "Islands", "Oceans", "Perfect Operation", "Rain" and "Eyes Like The Sun" encompassed an amazing performance that makes me want to keep an eye on these guys for a while. Isle Of Rhodes have their debut album All Rivers and Oceans currently out, I absolutely want to see them again and I'll definitely grab a copy of the album."
"Since surprises aren't our strong suit, we begin with their dynamic melodies, lush reverb, and eclectic vocal style evoking a chilled out, nostalgic rock sound that, believe it or not, is created without a single guitar! So what's rock without the jamming guitars, you ask?"
"What the Funk?"
"If you’ve been jonesing some fresh indie rock then look no further because Isle of Rhodes is it. “All Rivers and Oceans” is an excellent & well structured debut that plays like a greatest hits set. "
"From the rather haunting opening chords and phrases I realised that this project was going to be quite different to most of the new music that I have been listening to recently. In some ways it really did feel like I had been transported back in time; I hadn’t realised just how unique a sound could be created with a combination of these two keyboard instruments. "