Review: Tokyo Police Club, Elephant Shell

3 out of 5 stars
( Saddle Creek, 2008 )

I have a love/hate relationship with hype. Many times, it kills my enjoyment of a band – especially if it’s from people whose taste doesn’t jibe with my own (that’s a lot of people, I have to admit.) Clocking in at just over twenty-eight minutes, Elephant Shell is the debut from Saddle Creek band Tokyo Police Club. I’ve heard enough hype on this group that seemed in line with my own music taste, so I picked it up.

My own perspective on rock music has changed over the years – I no longer expect new bands to reinvent the wheel, as I once did – and it’s to Tokyo Police Club’s benefit. They aren’t exactly exploring new territory. Instead, they craft songs within the given parameters of second-wave “post-punk” rock, and the results are enjoyable if not groundbreaking. “Graves”, so far my favorite track on the album, reveals a (potential) contemporary kinship with Silent Alarm-era Bloc Party. “Nursery, Academy” grabs my attention immediately, as does “In A Cave”. Apart from “The Harrowing Adventures Of…”, though, they stick with a very specific formula – manic drums, skittering guitar hooks and cryptic narratives that you can’t help but feel that only their close friends truly understand.

Early editions of the album claim to come with a ‘limited edition’ second disc of remixes from the likes of Dntel, Field Music and more. Your desire for this version will most likely depend on your own interest in the individual remixers – Dntel endeavors to turn “Centennial” into a lost Fad Gadget tune and do a reasonably good job of it, while Flowers Forever don’t do anything terribly interesting with “Nursery, Academy”. It is certainly not a must-have.