Elephant Shell (NEW LP)

Tokyo Police Club was formed in 2005 by David Monks (vocals, bass), Josh Hook (guitar), Graham Wright (keyboards), and Greg Alsop (drums). Elephant Shell is the sound of these four early-20-somethings, now seasoned by hundreds of shows, from tiny clubs to the festival throngs at Coachella and Glastonbury, delivering on every bit of promise in their rapid-fire barrage of material to date. The opening one-two of “”Centennial”” and “”In A Cave”” barely evaporates before “”Graves”” and “”Juno”” pack innumerable hooks and ‘what-does-that-remind-me-of’ glimmers into meager 2-minute-and-change frameworks, while first single “”Tessellate”” and “”Sixties Remake”” encapsulate everything great about the manic TPC live experience: soaring guitar signatures and keyboard figures, driving backbeats and irresistible sing-alongs abound. Elsewhere, “”The Harrowing Adventures Of…”” and the down-tempo standout “”Listen To The Math”” find our young protagonists ably adapting their energy into more subdued structures before the rousing coda of “”The Baskervilles”” brings the record to an all-too-early halt.