I want Chaz Bundick's brain for a day. There is something intriguing about artists who can remain rooted in their general genre while weaving in and out of others. On Toro Y Moi's newest album, Underneath The Pine, Bundick maintains his typical lazy and dazed attitude common in chillwave but refreshingly embellishes it with shades of late-70s disco and early-80s' funk. The album begins with a raucous of violent guitar strums. If you listen closely, there is a buried beat created by his voice and what sounds like a really high pitched accordion, but it's probably just a synth part. There is a lot going on here, so it's pretty tough to hear at first but it becomes clear later on in the song. The second track is a funky and dreamy track that is Earth, Wind, and Fire incarnate minus the glam. This style continues for a bit, and then by the fourth song he has leveled out to his normal self, exploiting his synth and incorporating some classical guitar into his hazy style. The sixth song marks yet another change, returning to the upbeat feels of the earlier tracks but instead of a funk influence he incorporates staples of rock. The rest of the album is a fusion of all four of the styles. It makes for a roller coaster of an album. This album is solid in most respects. It has great moments of artful arrangements, some wild harmonies, and has clearly transcended all of his earlier works, including Causers Of This. The vocals, however, are rather suspect as usual. He never seems totally confident when singing. Even when I saw him live in Charlottesville, VA, he seemed a little uncomfortable approaching the mic. And he needs to lay off the falsetto. I'm not kidding. He needs to not do that. Another shortfall lies in its listening value: it doesn't require much attention. This is an album that can be played in the background of any non-stimulating situation. It could even be on repeat and you would never know it. Yet another rests with the song Light Black. I'm just going to put a giant question mark on that whole situation there. It sounds like Oscar the Grouch barfed, and Bundick used it as inspiration. There's still a discernable song there, I just don't understand how any of the parts fit together. I know it sounds like I'm butchering this album to the point that it has very few redeeming qualities, but I give it a 4/5; it has many shining moments, but overall it sounds like a premature release... he he. Another few weeks in the studio and this may have been a much stronger album. Favorite tracks: Intro Chi Chi, New Beat, Go With You, Before I'm Done, How I Know, Still Sound, and Elise... those are seven of the 11 tracks on the album; it can't be as weak as I may have implied.
Old Bundick: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C08ucWQ6tCo
New Bundick: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNcYDwo9ksA
Lupe Fiasco's final release, Lasers, is set for March 8th. Yours truly already got his hands on a copy, so I'm sure you'll hear about it in the coming days.
I made a boo-boo in my last post that has been noticeably fixed as of now. You can thank the writing police for that one. It's probably someone you know.
Best, Jonathan
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