TPC

On their previous album, 2014’s *Forcefield*, Toronto indie rockers Tokyo Police Club were eager to show off how much they had grown in their decade together, indulging their latent affections for both multi-sectional emo-prog suites and plush, Top 40-ready pop. But true to its monogrammed title, *TPC* strips everything back to basics: Dave Monks’ deadpan sing-speak returns to its natural habitat on the frazzled garage rock of “Pigs,” while the Strokes-like gallop of “Hercules” reconnects the band with a crucial formative influence. But *TPC*’s ample swagger belies a certain sweetness: The simmering, deconstructed funk of “DLTFWYH” yields a self-help mantra that’s equally profane and empowering. And with the ecstatic jangle-pop rush and extended ambient comedown of “Outtatime,” Tokyo Police Club prove their renewed enthusiasm for straight-up guitar rock has not entirely curtailed their exploratory ambitions.

The story behind Tokyo Police Club's latest album: In the last few years, the band grew apart while working on other projects, and briefly c...

Instead of mailing it in and ending Tokyo Police Club's decade long career with a whimper, singer/bassist and principal songwriter Dave Monks convinced the band to come together in the studio, shed all expectations and past pressures, and just have fun be