Tokyo Police Club - Elephant Shell

Tokyo Police Club is a band that I was introduced to months ago, and I had been meaning to procure their EP at the time, and with 2008, they have now released an album. It seems that this was a somewhat protracted venture for the band. However, they have a fresh set of eleven tracks for our listening pleasure. They have a typical Brit-rock sound, with a twinge of electro-synth tone. A combination that plays about nicely. Essentially pulling from the same sound as The Fratellis and The Cribs to name some of the band's contemporaries. The accent on the LP isn't quite as thick as their EPs, but it still adds that memorable twinge of British accent, which makes the ladies swoon, and personally, I don't mind it. It helps to solidify the sound.
The album opens with "Centennial" and the vocals sound almost Gibbard-esque. It seems to make a tender promise with the line: "This is skin you can wrap all of your arms and legs in." Giving the album a kind of sappy start, but the whole sound of it is great. The whole album is well put together and is clearly demonstrative of the current trend of indie-pop of melding synth and buzz with a hint of electronic sound. The track "Juno" really shines in this niche, and if TPC sticks with this sort of sound I see them having a lasting sound. As of now though they risk being lost in the annals of music history as the sound, though good, is somewhat lacking in distinction. They did however make a good move in this production by developing a moderately cleaner sound than on their previous EP, A Lesson in Crime. Overall I can recommend this album strongly, simply because I feel the exposure will help a promising band continue to grow.

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - Pershing

Pershing is a great follow up to Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin. (Hereafter referred to as SSLYBY, or, "Band with an excruciatingly long name.") It has the same sound that I loved in their previous release, Broom, and it delivers new content as well. I haven't really been bored by this one. The lyrics are fun, and flow well. I am fairly sure that at present I actually like Pershing MORE than Broom. The opening track, "Glue Girls" is a solid, consistent piece of music. It maintains the rock sound that the band has established for themselves. The next track that really sticks out for me is "Dead Right", which is a simple track that sort of coasts along. I honestly think to dissect any of this music might cause me to fail to do it justice, but overall this is a great album. It reminds me of driving on a sunny day with the window down, or relaxing on the beach with your close friends. The track that really shines on the album is "Modern Mystery". It seems to talk about life in a simple context, which is something we can all relate to I believe. Though, I will have to say that my favorite track on the album is, "Think I Wanna Die". It may be my favorite song at the moment. The bassline is so good, make sure that when you listen to it, you turn the bass up slightly so that it can really work it's way into your cerebellum. Overall this album is a great follow up to it's predecessor, and may actually be better in the long run, though only time will really answer that question. Regardless pick it up, it will be a good experience for the ears.