Tokyo Police Club

Tokyo Police Club's debut EP was a canon shot of grainy post-punk glory. They might have been peach-fuzzed Canucks, but when Dave Monks bleated the words "Operator, get me the President of the World, this is an emergency," on the album-opening "Cheer It On," it was hard not to actually believe him. Throughout A Lesson in Crime, and on the following year's Smith, something of gargantuan importance always seemed to hang in the balance. Josh Hook's spindly guitars and Graham Wright's keyboards would tangle with Monk's rumbling bass, his crisp vocals singing about robots tearing him apart, his limbs landing in front of the ones that he loved. On the follow up, Monk and company are still obsessed with the morbid and dire, but sonically they've allowed for a lot more room in their songs.

Elephant Shell's opening track "Centennial" (and a fair introduction to the album) is a perfect example, relying on a simple drum shuffle, and straightforward bass rumble to make its impact. Guitars and keys take a back seat, and Monk's voice is almost reserved. Of course, that's not to say that they've lost their energy or the gritty charm of Crime. "Graves" is still a whirring monster of synths and guitars. But on their sophomore release, and first for Saddle Creek, Tokyo Police Club seems to have settled their bones, released some of the tension, and written a collection of songs that rely on more than anxiety and livewire energy to make their point.

—Robbie Mackey
04.23.08