A few years ago, another RLF-er and I were discussing a trend that seemed to be emerging in indie rock. A lot of bands seemed to be using a hyperactive, rather atheletic drummer - the type of drummer you’d typically hear in a metal band. The recent Broken Social Scene and Annuals albums are perfect examples, where the efforts of the drummer(s) seem to be what makes the record ebb and flow. Using such a drummer isn’t necessarily a bad thing, unless, of course, that is the only appealing aspect of said band.

Canadian indie pop band Tokyo Police Club seems to be following this trend. Listening to the band’s debut full-length, said drumming is certainly impressive and beyond acrobatic. The rest of Elephant Shell is tightly knit as well, with keyboards that weave their way between pulsating Strokes-style guitars. The singer is droll and nasally, with a penchant for literary lyrics.

This combination should make for a golden pop record, by all accounts. However, I found it a bit bland. While the 28-minute-long record certainly doesn’t overstay its welcome, each song is a bit too same-y to be great. It’s like a great two-minute pop song repeated ad nauseum. Even with its enjoyable moments, it gets dull after a while. Given that, I can certainly see why the band’s 15-minute EP, A Lesson in Crime was so successful. Elephant Shell, however, could use a bit more diversity. But Tokyo Police Club is an extraordinarily young band, having only formed three years ago, so we’ll see what happens.

Stream more Tokyo Police Club songs.
Buy Elephant Shell from Saddle Creek.