Tokyo Police Club

Forcefield

Written by: TL on 22/04/2014 10:28:17

Ontario's Tokyo Police Club is a band whose name I've seen pop up regularly in relation to other indie acts I've scrutinized, and when Spotify recently saw fit to throw them at me as a recommendation during an idle moment, it seemed a good time to find out what's behind the name. Their new album "Forcefield" came out just under a month ago and is the fourth overall from the Canadian four-piece. On it, the band presents an airy, poppy indie that should immediately appeal to fans of Ireland's Two Door Cinema Club (you know that if a band has Club in its name, it's an indie pop band) and the likes of Vampire Weekend and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah.

The record opens with the unusually un-single-like "Argentina Parts 1, 11 & 111" which indeed manages to sound like three songs in one across its eight and a half minutes, and it's particularly the full-speed, excited opening that gets you right away, sort of like one of the contagious Walk The Moon songs from their album of two years ago. "Oh what a girl, I wish you had another sister for me" singer/synth player Nicholas Petricca sings, perhaps appealing to me in particular via his vocal similarity to Leighton Antelman (of Lydia and The Cinema) which is most apparent in the last, more tempered part of the song.

A combination of the bands referenced thus far is probably a good way to explain Tokyo Police Club then in case you've never heard them. With the guitar and synth making measured, poppy incisions the soundscape is light enough to appeal to fans of the laid back sounds of MGMT or Empire Of The Sun, yet the bass and drums have enough groovy presence to keep things rooted and organic enough to still feel like actual "band music". If you like tempo you can find it in "Tunnel Vision", "Miserable" and "Toy Guns", the latter two of which have good hooks in "I get miserable! And I feel I'm the only one who gets this way some times" and "Every other kid on the block has a shotgun", and if you feel like a more steady, groovy pace, songs like "Hot Tonight", "Gonna Be Ready" and "Through The Wire" will also have you covered.

All things considered, "Forcefield" casts Tokyo Police Club as a band that provides a fine nuance to an already established corner of the indie scene. The band doesn't sound quite unique enough or have enough weight to their expression to be considered a pillar of influence on their own I think, but they make up for that somewhat with an album like this, which is diverse enough in temper and more importantly, consistently catchy enough, to activate the listener the whole way through on numerous listens. The album proves to not be a bad entry point into the band's world then, prompting me to think that I'll be keeping an eye on them moving forward.

Download: Argentina Parts 1, 11 & 111; Miserable; Toy Guns; Through The Wire
For The Fans Of: Two Door Cinema Club, Vampire Weekend, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Leighton Antelman
Listen: facebook.com/tokyopoliceclub

Release date 25.03.2014
Mom + Pop

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