A Lesson in Crime - Tokyo Police Club

A Musical Police Parade; criminally short

Tokyo Police Club hails from Newmarket, Ontario...yeah that'd be another up and coming gifted band from Canada. You can't swing a Canadian Bacon sandwich these days without hitting one. Though they aren't quite as good as The Meligrove Band, another young Canadian up and comer, they are good. If I had to tag them, I'd say they are the coming of the Artic Monkey's on the North American shores.

"A Lesson in Crime," was released in 2006 trying to strike while the buzz iron was hot and it does contain some little modern post-punk gems. But, here's the big but. But, it clocks in at 16 minutes and the price isn't even an EP price. Lotta money, little music. Download the mp3's here at Amazon or wherever you like, forego the album art, and enjoy hearing the Police Club sound.

The standout hit here on "Crime Lessons," is "The Nature of The Experiment." It's got some great male and female vocal interplay for the chorus, a bouncy bass line that bounces all the way through, kicking it off with an infectious, "GO!" Good stuff. Another highlight is "Shoulders and Arms,"--a song that features some 80's synth and nice rim shot understated drums. And then there is the song, "Be Good," which has the same ubiquitous drum line but includes some great fast shot vocals, "Waltzing right out of the room / Be good when your parents stay over in June / I heard the news I'll send a card / Cellar door, Friday night Long johns, hold tight / Put it on a page Put it on a line /
Get the story down." Well, I didn't say it was deep. After all singer and bassist, Brandon Monks and his Police crew were merely fresh out of High School lads when they formed and cut this EP.

Catch the Canadian wave, the musical renaissance up north with Tokyo Police Club...download now. --mmw

Citizens of Tomorrow...

... be forewarned. As the accompanying review suggests, this band's influences are obvious. But they take their influences and re-package them into something that at times sounds like something almost completely different. This is one of those albums where one listens and exclaims, "They sound familiar... and different... whatever, I love it!"

This is a fun album, but they also have a lot to say. On that score, a comparison to countrymen Stars may be appropriate.

As for the length, first of all, this is an EP. Their debut LP on Saddle Creek has not yet been released. Second, I won't name them but I have purchased at least two dozen recent releases in this genre that were three times the length and 1/10 of the album. They were all highly recommended. You choose between a great 16 minutes or 45 minutes of background noise with a four minute knockout.

If you just don't think a 16 minute album at this price is a fair value, buy a ticket to a show. They kick off the U.S. leg of the upcoming tour in Indy on March 19. Be forewarned.

hated it

There was obviously little to no effort put into this album. With a weak 15 minute run time, terrible lyrics, annoying keyboards/synth hooks, and worst of all the fact that every song after the first track sounded so much alike that I thought the remainder of the album was the second and third track. I really don't care if these guys are "indie" or whatever, it doesn't excuse the fact that this album flat-out sucks. It's almost as if this was made exclusively for 13 year olds or people who confine themselves to the mainstream. If you miss the days where rock was actually rock, and hate what the music industry is today then avoid this.

A Brief Lesson In Crime

Some of the songs are pretty quality but they are really short. The longest song on the album is not even 3 minutes. And on top of all that there is only 7 songs on the album.

Waiting for their full length

this is an impressive start for this young indie band. hopefully they can follow up with something equally as strong