Toro Y Moi - Underneath the Pines (Carpark Records, 2011)

Chazwick Bundick, recording under the name Toro Y Moi, released his second solo album in February of this year.  His first album Causers of This (Carpark Records, 2010) showed off Bundick’s skill as both a multi-instrumentalist and as a producer, giving us a collection of beautiful pop-funk songs.  The production on Causers of This offers a wealth of lush textures and airy vocal harmonies with instrumentation ranging from piano, bass and guitar to warm analogue synths and drum machines.  His second album Underneath the Pines continues in the same vein, yet offers sounds sourced from an even wider palette.

The first song, “Intro Chi Chi”, sets out a psychadelic wash of distorted guitars, cowbells, shakers, and vocal layers, before the arrival of “New Beat” which picks up the tempo with some straight up synthy funk.  The vocal melodies of “Go With You” echo those of chillwave contemporary Ariel Pink and seems to hark back to the 60s with its harpsichord, rhodes and live drums.  In fact the rhodes compliments most of the album, as it does on the beautiful instrumental “Divina”, with a smooth bass line that recalls the sound of Air’s Moon Safari.  The vocal harmonies and melody of “Before I’m Done” are reminiscent of a post-Beatles John Lennon, while other songs harmonically hint at The Beach Boys or even The Shins.  There are further upbeat moments on the album such as “Got Blinded” and “How I Know”, although the album as a whole retains a laid back vibe due to the layers of reverb and delayed sounds.

With the exception of "New Beat", the album has a far more 60s feel to it than Toro Y Moi’s earlier album which found its footing more in the sounds of the late 70s and early 80s.  If Causers of This showed off Bundick’s ability as a producer with its chopped up samples and retro drum machines, then Underneath the Pines is more an album that highlights his ability as a songwriter and musician.  The album is full of melodic pop gems and is probably more accessible than its predecessor, although personally I prefer Causers of This with its warm synths and programmed beats.  It will be interesting to hear further releases from Toro Y Moi to see how his sound develops as he is clearly a highly talented musician and producer with a lot of scope.  Until then, both albums offer plenty of lasting enjoyment and are available to buy on record and cd.

Get Causers of This on vinyl
Get Underneath the Pines on vinyl