Tokyo Police Club – Champ (New Vinyl) (Blue & White Vinyl)

NEW LP

New sealed copy. 2025 repress on blue & white smash coloured vinyl.

On June 8, 2010, Tokyo Police Club unveiled Champ, their sophomore studio album and follow-up to 2008's Elephant Shell. The album marked another confident stride in the Ontario quartet’s evolution, blending their signature mix of frenetic energy and melodic hooks with a refined sense of purpose.

Ahead of its release, the band dropped the first single, “Breakneck Speed,” as a free download on March 26, 2010—an aptly titled track that encapsulated their penchant for propulsive rhythms and introspective lyrics. Champ continued to roll out with two additional singles: the infectious “Wait Up (Boots of Danger)” and the emotionally tinged “Gone,” both showcasing their knack for crafting indie pop anthems that feel both immediate and enduring.

Critics were divided but intrigued. Slant Magazine awarded the album 3 out of 5 stars, noting the band’s ability to outpace the fate of becoming “just another forgotten blog band.” Rolling Stone, meanwhile, was more enthusiastic, giving Champ 3.5 stars and praising its effortless marriage of “light-speed guitars with ebullient melodies.” The publication highlighted Tokyo Police Club’s ability to make crafting high-velocity guitar pop look deceptively easy.

Much like their debut EP A Lesson in Crime, Champ found its footing in consistency and vitality, offering fans another tightly woven collection of bright, bounding tracks. It may not have reinvented their formula, but it solidified their standing as a band determined to keep the spark alive.

TRACKLIST:

A1        Favourite Food
A2        Favourite Colour
A3        Breakneck Speed
A4        Wait Up (Boots of Danger)
A5        Bambi
A6        End of a Spark
B1        Hands Reversed
B2        Gone
B3        Big Difference
B4        Not Sick
B5        Frankenstein