A Lesson In Crime was ludicrously well received and Your English Is Good - an internet-only single release - was subject to just about the same level of adulation. On the one hand, then, expectations are particularly high, but on the other, there's clearly something about these boys.

Elephant Shell, unsurprisingly and perhaps understandably, strays none too far from their now-trademark vibrant, careering indie rock, Dave Monks' distinct treble-heavy vocal and verbose tendencies appearing to have been coaxed from obscure find to potential pop culture touchstone. The album finds him on provocative form throughout.

Comparisons to The Strokes, though slightly idle, ring true now and then, though it's with breakneck British bands like Bloc Party that the most telling aural parallels can be drawn. Centennial, for instance, drives breathlessly on with teamed guitar-bass riffs and occasional synth drones, while In A Cave pairs a hell-heavy bass run with pretty guitar pickery to tremendous effect.

Derivative, however, this is not. Despite most songs clocking in at just over a couple of minutes, the TPC formula is fully formed: effortless song structures full of life get the pulse racing and ears twitching; Monks' erudite prowess, while not always easy to decipher, never less than beguiling.

As Elephant Shell breaks into its stride, Juno's machine gun drumming has a touch of a classic about it, first single, Tessellate, recalls the irresistible hooks that propelled earlier efforts and Nursery Academy's thrilling execution means that it is more than the sum of its parts and surely fan favourite in the waiting.

While it would have been forgiven, the album stoutly refuses to run out of puff as it enters its final throes: Tokyo Police Club certainly wouldn't have been the first act to make the leap to LP and be found wanting for ideas.

Instead, the home straight is comprised of the rather magnificent (and already tried and tested, cannily) Your English Is Good, the unhurried but soaring Listen To The Math (seemingly about premature parenthood as much as it is about premature birth) and The Baskervilles (signing off with a rich and crushing onslaught).

Elephant Shell is great. It really is. It manages to stay true to the band's short-form indie excitement whilst also revealing further virtues well into repeat spins, thanks in no small part Monks' crafting and delivery of invigorating performances for those who like their music with both guts and intelligence - because they don't have to be mutually exclusive.

Share ('')

end of year feature musicOMH's 50 Best Albums Of 2009 From the nearly 700 albums we reviewed this year, which did our writers love the most? Introduction 50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 20-11 | 10-4 | 1-3