Champ
Building on the momentum of 2008\'s debut LP *Elephant Shell*, the Canadian indie rockers put everything on the line by signing to a larger label and working with hotly tipped producer Rob Schnapf for their second LP. Compared to *Elephant Shell*\'s knotty post-punk rhythms and bookish one-liners, the tempos were slower and the songs got more reflective. Steeped in joy and a tinge of melancholy, lead singer David Monks looks back on old friendships (“Breakneck Speed”) and makes up for lost time “Boots of Danger (Wait Up)” over sleek, streamlined guitar pop. The infectious keyboard lines and bright melodies of “Not Sick” and “Bambi” also highlighted the band at their most comfortable and self-assured. “Less big words and more exclamation marks,” Monks sings alongside chugging riffs on “Big Difference,” fitting words that sum up their bold make-it-or-break-it moment.
After their shaky 2008 full-length debut, Elephant Shell, Tokyo Police Club return with an album that recaptures some of their early promise.
Tokyo Police Club introduced itself to the world with an EP, A Lesson In Crime, so spunky, energetic, and youthful—not to mention short—that the more contemplative songs on the Canadian band’s debut full-length, Elephant Shell, felt almost too mature on first contact. On Champ, album No. 2, these boys—average age…
Tokyo Police Club make some adjustments to tempo, mood, and song length on this sophomore album, released two years after the group’s Elephant Shell debut.
A decidedly average indie-pop album...With a surprisingly successful EP and album under their belts already, Tokyo Police Club return with their second full-length album ‘Champ’.
Canada’s Tokyo Police Club are the posterboys of heartfelt hard-and-fast indie pop.