Tokyo Police Club
Elephant Shell

They aren’t from Japan, nor are they a police unit. Tokyo Police Club is a quartet of young, cool, music-lovers from Toronto.

With fast-paced songs mixing guitar and drums influenced by garage rock and danceable bass lines these postpunk indie rockers debuted with a lightning-quick 16 minutes of music on A Lesson in Crime EP.

Now, two years since their debut release, TPC has cranked out their first full-length disc Elephant Shell, which clocks in at 28 minutes. By using more guitar effects, keyboards, vocal harmony and a wider array of instruments such as bells and violins, TPC avoided giving the world “Another” Lesson in Crime.

Fortunately, the debut EP’s high-tempo energy remains, particularly on “Tessellate” and “Graves” with their fast yet melodic guitars, harmonized chanting, catchy keyboards and uplifting drum beats. The irresistible “In a Cave” and “Nursery, Academy” feature various hooks on the guitars, keyboards and refrains, crammed comfortably into the two and half minutes of each song.

But Elephant Shell’s true success is its sense of completeness due to the record’s improved pacing. Tracks such as “The Harrowing Adventures Of…” and “Listen to the Math” offer slower rhythms and more drawn out lyrical presentations.

With lyrics about growing up and longing for the past, Elephant Shell’s opener, “Centennial” sounds like someone reading a letter from an old friend: “running out of space so let me sum this up for you, I’m only wishing well…this coming Thursday evening is our centennial.” Intentionally or not, Elephant Shell plays like a concept album, detailing experiences of two close friends via reflections into the past, proof of matured song-writing by the group.

Elephant Shell proves that TPC is not a one trick post-punk pony, Even if the brief length of less than thirty minutes is a bit disappointing, the album skips the filler garbage, providing only essential and versatile tunes chock full of infectious rhythms and hooks perfect for mad dance sessions, rock outs and sing-alongs.

— By Contributing Writer Cole Youngner

Mariah Carey
E=MC²

Having recently achieved her 18th No. 1 single with the uber-catchy “Touch My Body” and surpassing Elvis Presley for the most No. 1 hits by a solo artist, Mariah Carey is still a force to be reckoned with.

Carey managed to return to the success of her glory days in the 1990s with 2005’s Grammy-winning The Emancipation of Mimi, but her new album, E=MC², which stands for “emancipation equals Mariah Carey to the second power,” truly takes that winning formula to the next level.

The record kicks off on the dance floor with the Danja-produced club track “Migrate.” In the song, Carey exudes a confidence not seen on her previous effort as she sings: “As we proceed getting buzzed, the envious ones / Hatin’ but they can’t take they eyes off us.”

On the dark “Side Effects,” Carey tries on hard-edged, machine-gun style beats and opens up about her failed marriage with deeply personal lyrics. Carey also conjures up some funky old-school R&B with the seductive “I’m That Chick.”

Although Mimi producer Jermaine Dupri has a less notable presence on E=MC², Dupri does manage to contribute some catchy cuts. In the breezy “Cruise Control,” Carey trades verses with Damian Marley and tries her hand at reggae patois.

But Carey truly shines on the final track “I Wish You Well,” which recalls the spell-binding vocals of her 1990 debut single “Vision of Love.” With her voice accompanied solely by a piano, the song takes an almost gospel approach and and finds Carey vocally and spiritually soaring.

E=MC² not only surpasses its predecessor but ranks among the best of her catalog and proves that Carey’s music is anything but formulaic.

— By Staff Writer Ben Fisher