Tokyo Police Club, Camden Barfly, London, Thursday, February 15

When these Canadians turned up at CMJ last year with a trunkful of catchy contraband tunes, industry and fans alike went beserk. One masterclass in scuzz-pop later (recent mini-album ‘A Lesson In Crime’), and with the furore showing no sign of abating, they look ready to collar a few more individuals tonight. Waving cardboard signs and swishing a velvet flag, keys-man Graham Wright swirls his tambourine like a sparkler amid the crunching strobe snare of ‘Cheer It On’. Sanguine in comparison, singing bassist David Monks exudes all the cool and none of the coy of Casablancas, grinning his way through ruffled gems The Strokes would happily do a night in the clink for. “Citizens of tomorrow be forewarned”, he rasps prophetically like Conor Oberst’s dying detective side-kick. Consider that a police caution.

Greg Cochrane