A Lesson in Crime
It's nigh on impossible to review a young, indie rock band anymore without referencing their predecessors, their colleagues who have created the anxiety of influence. Here, David Monks' voice, combined with Joshua Hook's compressed-spray on guitar, certainly conjure early Strokes, but then comparisons just fall short. Tokyo Police Club's command of multiple tempos and rhythmic palettes sets up spacey atmospheres to tumble through, with a hefty blast at their beck and call. There's a languid undertow here, Monks pulling you in with a slow, warm-water voice only to let his pals bludgeon you with just-so rhythms that, even in flight, last a sharp, fast two minutes on average.--Andrew Bartlett