Tokyo Police Club: Elephant Shell

It's generally good when bands mature: Youthful

exuberance and attitude can only be convincing for so long. Tokyo Police Club,

a Canadian outfit populated by young men barely into their 20s, came out

swinging with A Lesson In Crime, an EP that made up for in fiery energy what it

lacked in running time. Elephant Shell, TPC's debut full-length (if 28 minutes

constitutes "full-length") is crackling with fun and life, but it also feels

naggingly like a band trying to grow up too fast. Adrenaline-rush moments are

parceled out more carefully than they should be: "Tessellate" and "Your English

Is Good" pulse with punk-inspired life, and "Sixties Remake" adds layers the

band hadn't tried before, without sacrificing energy. But when things slow down

too much, it's like the flip side of a graying band trying to rock too hard:

"The Harrowing Adventures Of…" is nicely chilled, but ultimately pretty

forgettable. Elsewhere, there's a more obvious tension between the urge to

redline and the desire for something more grandiose: "Nursery, Academy" adds

swelling keyboards, but only half-succeeds at it. "Centennial" does the same

thing better, because it snarls when it should and retreats when the time is

right. If Elephant Shell had been packed with such immediate songs, it would've been

more successful. As it stands, it's a really good album by a band that

should've made—and still might make—a really, really great one.