Tokyo Police Club - Elephant Shell
[Memphis Industries]

The hype machine went into overdrive when this Ontario collective surfaced in 2006, such was the positive reaction to their breakthrough mini-album, A Lesson In Crime. Notable for its brevity and downright ballsiness, the record oozed charisma and shimmered with frenetic post-punk sensibility and impressively tight rhythms. And so what of the ‘debut’ full-length album? Have the band replicated the same spirit and atmosphere which flourished on its predecessor?

Not entirely. This record sees Tokyo Police Club deliberately expanding their range, an overt demonstration that they’re not solely dealing in scuzzy, two-minute party anthems these days. The production is certainly more polished, while a continuously varying tempo has the band showing us a more reflective side to their collective character than has been shown before.

When it works, the results are superb. The glistening intro of lead single ‘Tessellate’ precedes all the trademark TPC ingredients (hand claps, jagged drum beats, rumbling bassline) being cracked open, while ‘Juno’ and ‘Your English Is Good’ both rattle along with unrelenting catchiness and ever-changing percussion.

Overall though, even after multiple listens too few of the tracks manage to stand out from one another, leaving you with a sense of frustration at the band’s unrealised potential. Dave Monks’ vocal style, although still marking him out as a camper-sounding, more coherent Julian Casablancas, displays less aggression than on previous offerings. It’s perfectly listenable, but sometimes it lacks the punch to retain the listener’s interest, especially on some of the slower tracks.

By toning things down a notch or two in places, some of the care-free excitement associated with this group comes across as having faded a tad. They wanted to move on, but the indie rock coating which has been applied to their sound may sadly end up diluting their impact rather than enhancing it.

Elephant Shell Tracklisting:

1. Centennial
2. In A Cave (Download free MP3)
3. Graves
4. Juno
5. Tessellate (Watch the video)
6. Sixties Remake
7. The Harrowing Adventures Of...
8. Nursery, Academy
9. Your English Is Good (Watch the video)
10. Listen To The Math
11. The Baskervilles