It's not much, but it's all mine.

I recently was asked to write a review for an online music community that focuses on independent artists and labels. As excited as I am, I'm already feeling the pressure of writing something that I exchange for actual non-Monopoly money. I am completely aware that I have a long way to go in terms of skill, as music reviews are really an art in themselves, with a specific style and nuance different from straightforward editorials.

I've been instructed that ordinarily I will be seeking out indie artists to review on my own, but this time I was given the specific assignment of reviewing Tokyo Police Club's latest LP, Champ. As I close my eyes and jump blindly into a world I'm unsure of, I offer to you, my first review :


"It's good to be back..."

A well anticipated follow-up to their 2008 LP, Elephant Shell, Tokyo Police Club's latest release, Champ, has already proven itself to be a title-worthy winner.

Opening track "Favourite Food," sets the album's tone, but sneakily not until the second half of the song. There's a detectable hint of growth right off the bat as it transforms from a simple intro track into a delicious up tempo pop tune. Even though the formula seems recognizable (gradually building rhythms and upbeat tempos) it's easy to anticipate that each song to follow will be a step away from the TPC we're already so familiar with.

It's hard not to play along once the toe-tapping beat strikes up in "Bambi," an electro-pop mix that combines impressive guitar melodies, clever hooks and start-stop rhythms into a well-blended dance anthem. Don't be surprised when you find yourself clapping along in triplicate form before even finishing the first go-round.

"Your only souvenir is a suitcase full of sand...But when you feel like you're a million, then I feel like I'm a grand," Monks croons in the crush worthy "Hands Reversed." The album's most ballad-esque track is as devastatingly gentle as a warm summer breeze, carrying a sound reminiscent of days spent blowing dandelions into the wind, while drowning subtly in the words of a heartbreaking childhood romance.

As semi-solid as it is, the entire album bears no preparation for the second to last track, "Frankenstein," as it peels back the curtain to show the growth that TPC has undergone in the last two years. Jumping right into a startling, all-encompassing melody with deep bass undertones, hypnotic beats and synthesized instrumentation, "Frankenstein" churns out a sound that's capable of sending goose bumps right down your spine, ten seconds in. I only wish they would have saved this gem to be the final track, as it teases in anticipation for what TPC might have in store next time around...

Champ finds Tokyo Police Club crossing over into a new era; a band noticeably more comfortable in their own skin, having lengthened their songs, strengthened their construction and explored their own capabilities. This record takes you away to an indie-pop landscape filled with dreamy childhood innocence showing signs of maturity as it progresses, leaving you with a band that has begun to ripen, much like their sound.

- © Caroline Bolter

Listen to my favorite track from Champ: