Champ

Tokyo Police Club’s success has not ended on the debut album

The Canadian team Tokyo Police Club attracted the attention after performing at a popular festival in the native country and releasing EPs, and its 2008’s debut album Elephant Shell proved to be quite promising. The four musicians sound very well together, they are young (each is a bit older than twenty years old) and full of energy, and so is their music. Vocalist Dave Monks has recommended himself as a performer with good potentials and absolute ingeniousness in front of the microphone from the very beginning, he can tell stories, shout and sing with a calm and pleasant voice. The main peculiarities of Tokyo Police Club’s first album were short vivid tracks with a complicated set of instruments. This year the guys present us with their sophomore effort Champ on which each of the members’ professional growth is utterly evident: the lyrics have become more profound, the vocals are more soulful and powerful, the guitarists and drummer’s works are even more matched. It is quite clear now that Tokyo Police Club’s success has not ended on the debut album; these guys are seriously intent to conquer the world.

Short, vivid, direct tracks on Champ

The tendency of writing short, vivid, direct tracks started on Elephant Shell continues on Champ, too, – none of the songs surpasses the four minute frontier, and the entire album lasts a little longer than 35 minutes. Therefore, on the one hand, it does not annoy you, on the other hand, you have to give Champ more than just one listening to taste it properly. The record begins with two compositions with similar titles but different messages, Favourite Food and Favourite Colour. The first one is a bit tense, changeable in its tempo, with nervous vocals and bright chorus, the second one is built on expressive guitars, and you are going to murmur yourself its memorable chorus during the following week. Monks’ manner of performance reminds the works of The Smashing Pumpkins on Breakneck Speed a little while the number Wait Up (Boots Of Danger) proves to be one of the most easy-going, fast and unserious on the album. The song Bambi can boast the most memorable riff in the band’s history and melodious back vocals, and the composition Hands Reversed presents the most interesting moment on the record due to the insistently ingratiating chorus and a good tune. The guys demonstrate perhaps the most mature lyrics on Not Sick telling of what a perfect girl for a serious relationship should be like. The record closes with the composition Frankenstein once again pleasing with great vocals, melodious guitars and contagious drums.

Brilliant tunes and harmonious instrumental parties

Judging by all, the band Tokyo Police Club is not striving at satisfying the requirements of mainstream audience, making the music the way it thinks it must be done. The guys have managed to preserve the formula they created on the debut album adding even more of their young energy. Besides, the musicians continue evolving of which both brilliant new tunes and instrumental parties harmoniously joined together are witnessing. As for Dave’s vocals they sound even more powerful and interesting on Champ, and he successfully renders most varied emotions at the corresponding moments. On the whole, Tokyo Police Club is simultaneously similar to the multitude of other young indie collectives and is different from them. This four-piece are childhood friends and each of them is an interesting personality, all are united by the common vision of music. The result of their joint creative work surprises nicely every time, so one can only guess what their third creation is going to be like, whether they will turn towards more serious and melancholic pieces or become even more joyful, eclectic and vivid than today. Whatever the case, Champ proves to be a great step forward and will make you feel really good.