REVIEW: Toro Y Moi - Underneath The Pine

Toro y Moi
Underneath The Pine
(out of 5)

Toro y Moi can be loosely translated from the “Espanola-Françoise” to English as meaning “the bull and me” which in no way describes young-wonder Chaz Bundick’s hazy phosphorescence (dubbed “chillwave” by some music journalists). It’s probably a coincidence that the act played in Bulls, New Zealand over Valentine’s Weekend.

It was probably another coincidence that I also happened to be in the area, albeit for very different, non-musical reasons. I do remember on the car ride down listening to Toro Y Moi’s 2010 debut Causers of This and being left in a wide-eyed catatonic state for most of the trip. Simply put, the record set the bar pretty high with its one-step-forward-two-steps-back production and throwback funk fusion.

I had great expectations for whatever Bundick was set to release next. Unfortunately - as happens so often in life –- reality didn’t match up to said expectations. Underneath the Pine kind of delivered; I won’t say it’s ‘the best thing ever’, and I won’t say it is any better than the artist’s debut. It took a different musical direction; gone are the boy-in-the-bedroom production values, with full instrumentation across the 2011 release. The summery wobble is still there, though in a more complicated form. There is simply a lot more going on, with heavy experimental layering and a mélange of musical ideas popping there head out of every corner.

Opener track– aptly titled 'Intro/Chichi' drops in tribal beats and hazy synths gliding over a repeated sun-starched mantra. It sets the record on the path mentioned above, calling up imagery of lazy afternoons at the beach (post-surf), and just summer in general. Both 'New Beat' and 'Still Sound' have ‘undercover indie hit’ written in them, with a kind of 90s feel that only someone from that era can really understand. There’s the acoustic guitar led 'Before I’m Done', with its slowed down Beatles love song feel, while the cross-fading in 'Good Hold' does funny things to your ear drums (which is actually pretty unique, though does feel rather strange). Bundick obviously had fun making this record, and that’s an attribute that can be quickly observed in any piece of music – it’s a healthy element to have.

Toro y Moi - Still Sound

If you’re new to the artist/genre you may enjoy Underneath the Pine. As a fan, I much prefer Toro Y Moi’s first record for its imbued simplicity. I gave Underneath the Pine plenty of time to grow, but it never hit me emotionally, which is the most important - if intangible - factor when it comes to critiquing music (or anything for that matter).

The record is technically better than the debut, and the experimentation here is admirable (and will probably inspire a raft of pretenders), but it just didn’t excite me. There are a few good songs, but ‘a few’ is not good enough these days with such a trove of music at your fingertips. Maybe the live version in Bulls was better.

Written by Theo Sangster.