Tokyo Police Club, Elephant Shell
Toronto quartet grows up and calms down.
When Tokyo Police Club first emerged in 2006, the comparisons were endless. Depending on who you asked, their EP, A Lesson in Crime, brought to mind Les Savy Fav, Q & Not U or the Strokes. The group flirted with a variety of styles, leaving listeners eager to hear what the Toronto quartet — then barely out of high school — would produce as they matured. But if TPC's initial sound was raw-but-catchy post-punk, the band's first full-length effort, Elephant Shell, finds them settling down.
Quite unlike his opening shout on Crime, Dave Monks'first moments on Elephant's “Centennial” are more Ben Gibbard than Julian Casablancas. TPC has again delivered a neat parcel of tightly-crafted pop songs, but Elephant Shell mostly forsakes the edgier moments of earlier outings. The single “Your English Is Good,” rife with hand claps and shouts, is closest to the tone of Crime, and stands apart from the rest of the album's cleaner, more focused sound. But despite this change in direction, the band has retained its talent for bizarre lyrics and catchy guitar hooks — and also demonstrates the experience and skill gained over several years of touring. While Elephant Shell might not be the album fans expected, it showcases the evolution of a band that, in the wake of the hype machine, is beginning to define itself.
