A Lesson In Crime

This high-speed-bullet of a record took only three days to bring together. Far from being an act of scrimping, this excitable velocity is the essence of TPC - translated here into the post-punk over-excitement of the music itself. Opener “Cheer It On” was originally written by TPC’s first incarnation and gave rise to their name, with the lines: “When you’re standing near – Tokyo Police Club!/ When you’re standing next to me – Tokyo Police Club!/ Lost in the pacific – I’m arresting you for being in love.” Which, according to the band, justifies the name in its own ridiculousness. Popping bass lines pull you through each song, plunging you into apocalyptic landscapes ruled by robot masters in “Citizens of Tomorrow” or the more sinister “Shoulders and Arms” Laser-beaming keyboards and gun-firing guitar riffs anchor the tracks; where any hint of pessimism is quickly eradicated by the band’s penchant for hand clapping... which can actually end up sounding something like an acoustic bass. Impressive. Bundle all of this with cheeky bonus track, “Cut Cut Paste,” rooted in the middle of the record, so as not to make you wait until long after it’s conclusion to get their extra piece of TPC, and it’s quite a package.

Youthful exuberance, raw danceability, and comic-book-active imaginations rule the troubled universe Tokyo Police Club are sent to serve and protect. Brace yourselves for a UK invasion!

“One of planet Indie’s hottest properties” NME sounds of 2007
“Twitchin, hyperventilating Canadian indie kids” – Guardian Playlist
“Just plain cooler than anything else we’ve heard this year” Arena
‘Ones To Watch’ Q Magazine
“Terrifically exciting” Metro
“A great talent” Music Week
“Two minute post punk jams with danceable beats, A Lesson In Crime is an impressive debut” Dazed & Confused
Nature of Experiment ‘Track of the week’ The Guardian
“A sit up and listen UK debut” Sunday Times
“Chaotic genius” Rocksound