Holy Cop is a constantly energetic album mixing quality math-rock with an almost punk-pop undertone, surpassing the bands former success with their debut album Buffalo (2008). It’s an album fundamentally composed of occasionally screeching yet always harmonizing two-part vocals slung over some catchy and upbeat riffs to create a clean cut and accomplished album that will fill your ears with those party summery vibes. The lyrics in track ‘Dry Hands’ can back me up there!

“We make the most of sunshine, we may have all the sunshine. Don’t take too much to make us, part of this apparatus.”

Opening track Souvenir is the perfect introduction of what’s to come. Girl/boy vocals fight their way through a track composed of a mismatch perfect match of constantly changing guitar riffs and a safety net baseline that keeps the track on track. It’s this exciting showcase of technical skill and execution that highlights Mayors Of Miyazaki capabilities. This theme continues straight into track two, Start After One (a stand out of the album for it’s enthusiasm and technical ability) and continues through Sugar in the Fuel Tanks and Tongues, which all sit somewhere comfortably between hardcore drum beats and a series of captivating punkrock riffs.

The album does have a few pace changes with the introduction of track five, Parts Per Million sounding a lot calmer and then again with Human Resources and Muy Sexo providing a more up-tempo punk feel. However, the joint vocals crucially maintain a familiar pace and feel throughout the entire album making Mayors Of Miyazaki tunes instantly catchy, recognisable and sing-along classics. One of the most exciting qualities about this album is the consistency of the quality even through though the diverse range of sounds created. The more you listen to it, the harder it is to pick out faults, or those tracks that don’t quite make the grade. Essentially, it’s really good.

Perhaps the only disappointment of the album is it doesn’t quite end on the high it started. After the bulk of track ten Mortise + Tenon is over, there’s an almost unnecessary and arguable irrelevant minute long instrumental that wouldn’t sound out of place on an arcade ghost train. However, it’s not enough of a fault to downgrade the overall dynamic and engaging feel of the rest of the album.

Mayors Of Miyazaki musical creativity is emulated through their distribution of the album, making it available via CD digipak, compact cassette, and super limited compact cassette in a carved book, which is out now! Mayors Of Miyazaki are spending their summer playing at shows across the UK and Ireland.

And check out the official video here:

9/10

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SAVOIR FAIRE is a composition of all the elements that create a successful Post-Metalcore album; breakdowns, screams, gang vocals and heavy riffs. And although TOBU don’t necessarily provide anything particularly new, they’ve utilised a well-polished and celebrated hardcore formula to produce an album that feels familiar and well loved.

The album introduces us to the underpinning energetic sounds of TOBU with an opening track donning the traditional ‘turning on amp’ echoes before a quick drop into a weighty baseline and chanting vocals of ‘In Sickness And Wealth’.  This tune sets the tone for the entire album; aggressive, fun and up-tempo.

Track two, ‘The Liar The Thief And The Useless,” witnesses TOBU build on the energy of the album opening. Arguably, this allows TOBU to showcase their most standout track. The catchy riffs in this tune do succeed in providing a pleasure to the ears and after a minute in, TOBU pull a slightly daring move of an upbeat Ska like change in pace. It shouldn’t work, but it does.

Track three (Lower Case) and four (My Social Life) will have you instantly nodding your head and tapping your feet. What works well within these two tracks in particular is the execution of a solid structure allowing an element of accessibility to the audience. In short, you’ll feel like you already know these tunes.

“Now Here” comes as a welcoming thirty second interval to the energy and allows for a slightly different pace and sound ready for track seven, “In Reality.” The only down side to this this tune is the vocals, which might make you double-check your ITunes at points to see if you’re listening to the same band. This uncertainty continues into the intro of track seven, “Remember Yourself.” Bizarrely, the intro of this track resembles an almost early Limp Bizkit/Linkin Park type instrumental, which luckily only last a few minutes. However, as negative as this may sound (to some) it crucially allows TOBU to present diversity throughout the album. Something I feel they’re perhaps keen to express.

By track eight the boys are back to what they do best, showcasing a solid hardcore sound with “Safety,” another stand out on the album. One of the most noticeable elements of this debut, is that the tracks are positioned as though they’d be performed in the same order.  From the energetic first four tracks to the thirty second break down of ‘Now Here’ leading immediately into a heavily instrumental ‘Remember Yourself,’ the album then builds the momentum back up for the final four tracks and finishes on the epic and heartfelt “God Is an Atheist”.

Ultimately TOBU have created an album both heavy and expressive, which will undoubtedly get them the credit they deserve. The diversity of the album does showcase their musically knowledge and skill, however these boys are at their best behind an already busy genre. Luckily, it’s one we all know and love.

SAVOIR FAIRE is out now via A Wolf At Your Door Records.

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