Champ is reissued on red and white splatter vinyl with an accompanying bonus 7” comprising two unreleased tracks, ‘Hundred Dollar Day’ and ‘Bambi (Acoustic)’.
The idea that you never get a second chance to make a first impression is only partly true but when you’ve made as strong an impression as Tokyo Police Club did with their first record and a half - 2007’s ‘Lesson in Crime’ EP and 2008’s ‘Elephant Shell’ - it can be sneakily difficult to change the narrative, especially if the narrative has been good to you so far. However, in deference to and celebration of its tenth birthday it is time to re-celebrate and re-examine Champ, the Canadian band’s fantastic-yet-underserved sophomore album.
Champ is something of a lost classic of newmillennium indie-pop and deserves to be hoisted to the special place in your collection - physically or mentally - where you keep the good stuff.
‘Wait Up (Boots of Danger)’ is every bit as catchy as The Strokes’ ‘Last Nite’ though it trades New York cool for youthful Ontario exuberance. And it’s not just the hits that drive Champ: Its bench is deep, from the insistent, twitchily bouncer ‘Big Difference’ to the sombre sorta-ballad ‘Hands Reversed’, which could be a cousin to the best Walkmen songs.
Released: April 2021
Cat: MI0157LPX
Label: Memphis Industries
