T.P.C.’s long-awaited full-length finally hits the shelves, and it is definitely not a carbon copy of their “A Lesson In Crime” EP from two years ago. There are only slight vestiges of guitarist Josh Hook‘s CURE-isms from the EP. This is kind of a shame, considering it was a big part of that record’s appeal. His obligatory delayed solos have been traded in for a more ambient rhythmic approach. The overall lo to mid-fi feel of the EP is all but gone. This matters little because the rawness is still there in spades. One could hardly describe this effort as overproduced. There is also less of the STROKES influence this time around.

Unfortunately vocalist/bassist David Monks‘s languid larynx is pushed too far up the mix in the driest possible way. His kinda dorky sounding voice not only could use less volume, but a bit of reverb and/or delay. The good thing is his bass has more midrange, clarity and distortion than ever before. It pops out of the mix nicely. Shit, it dominates dudely! The bass really is the star of this band. The drums come in a close second. The drumbeats are more impressive than ever before. Greg Alsop‘s beats are quite unorthodox. As melodic as they are, Graham Wright's keyboards never sound cheesy. Normally synthesizers that don’t produce SIX FINGER SATELLITE’s analog lampooning take on all things early DEVO are the enemy when they materialize into DMD world. Even with my initial misgivings about the vocals and the “less is more” loom on the guitar front this time around, T.P.C. takes it to another level. It’s hard to believe that they are label mates (and actual fans – gasp!!) of the ever-horrid BRIGHT EYES, but that can overlooked in future days, niggas!!

- Herring

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