In their debut EP, this Tokyo Police Club break the mould of what is usually expected of a new, up and coming indie band. It’s hard to categorise a sound that is so reliant on pace – each song is delivered with the urgency that is so often lacking from new bands today. With 8 tracks, A Lesson in Crime only clocks in at 18 minutes. But what a quarter of an hour it is.
From the first drum beat to the last synth note, this is a master class in how to make a splash on a scene. They bang, crash and rip their way through the Cheer it on, the EP’s opener, and most certainly the most memorable of their tunes. The choice to chant their name at intervals within the song is an odd one, but the risk pays off with vast dividends, providing a seed in your mind from which a love can grow.
Most often compared to The Strokes due to a similar vocal style and, of course, their simple, catchy guitar riffs, Tokyo Police Club are going to have to work hard to shake off this tag, but given what’s on show here, they’ll have no worries. In 18 minutes, the band manage to show more variety and energy that Casablanca’s men have managed in 3 albums. La Ferrassie, for instance, is a song which sounds more like it could belong more to Canadian compatriots Broken Social Scene than a stereotypical indie band, whereas the intelligent Nature of the Experiment is an indie anthem in waiting – funny, sharp and decisive, it is the song upon which the EP pivots.
Each song on the album has it’s own feel which may not be apparent upon first listen – indeed, sometimes it’s hard to differentiate between songs and it can take a keen ear to recognise the changes between songs. However , after a few listens, it becomes obvious, and the band’s talented riffs and lyrics become second nature.
Though the band’s list of priorities may be topped by the need to make an audience move (which is done with distinction at each of their shows), interesting and thought-provoking lyrics must be second, with an instant array of perfectly quotable lines springing up from nowhere. From the ridiculously sublime opening of ‘OPERATOR! Get me the president of the WORLD! This is an EMERGENCY!’(Cheer it on), to the heart tuggingly romantic ‘When we kiss my stars aline’ (Cut Cut Paste), the boys have it well covered in every department.
Though the band haven’t made many inroads to the mainstream either sound of the Atlantic yet and may have a full-length LP out by early next year, and the fact that their latest single (Your English is Good) doesn’t appear on it, A Lesson in Crime is an EP that should be handed out to every bedroom guitarist to show them exactly what passion and commitment mean. Tokyo Police Club have the potential to be the sleeper hit of the year, if only the public are smart enough to realise talent when they hear it.
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