Toro Y Moi - Underneath The Pine
- Written by Joel Stagg
While Chaz Bundick, aka Toro Y Moi, still feels like a fresh prospect, he has already successfully established himself as an appealingly dynamic musician. He released his first album Causers of This last year to much acclaim, but quickly transformed all of the songs into full, live-band affairs, avoiding becoming too irreparably attached to any flash-in-the-pan genres associated with bedroom laptop musicians. The one-off single, ‘Leave Everywhere’, continued this more traditional counterpoint to the woozy electronica that found him his initial success, and further eclecticism was revealed elsewhere, be it through thumpingly amazing Michael Jackson covers or side-projects such as Les Sins, a dance-infused continuation of the closing, titular song of his debut album.
Bundwick has spoken in interviews about his wide range of influences, and it definitely reflects here. In the succinctly sweet ‘Intro Chi Chi’, a pulsating drone rhythm is mixed with Latino percussion and wordless singing; in ‘Before I’m Done’, a sweet acoustic guitar riff segues into hazy vocals and synths. There are so many ideas thrown in which make Underneath the Pine, above all, one of the most fun releases of recent times.
The use of more live instrumentation and less samples lends a much more full-bodied, melodic sound to the music, and it is a strong and impressive progression in style. But the record also manages to retain a distinctness; whilst it collates so many broad influences, it never feels like a pastiche or an imitation, it always sounds unmistakably like Toro Y Moi – he has carved out a unique sound all of his own, and so fans of the first record will likely find as much to love here as they did before.
The two standouts will likely be ‘New Beat’ and ‘Still Sound’ - the record’s most immediate pop moments - but there isn’t really a weak song of the album, and like most great records, it really works best listened to as a whole. Instrumental pieces like ‘Divina’ break up some of the poppier moments, and songs like ‘How I Know’ quickly become slow-burning album highlights. There’s a lot of experimentalism and playfulness, much like on Causers of This – songs break down unexpectedly, mid-stride, into melodic jams, but always recover themselves.
The more full-bodied and perhaps mature sound of Underneath the Pine is mirrored in the lyrical themes. Whilst Causers of This could be interpreted as almost entirely about a relationship, the themes here broaden slightly, reflecting family and friends, life, and death. There are some truly bittersweet moments – the ultra-funky ‘Still Sound’ reverberates with the wistful chorus of “There was a finer time when I was with my friends and I could always see my family/That’s what I still want now even if I’m here and I know they won’t be waiting/'Cause I don’t want to be here alone”, alluding to an emotional downside to the musician’s life.
‘Good Hold’ laments moments that transpire too quickly, with Bundwick achingly singing “You should do it while you can, don’t let it go, don’t let it go/You should hold her while you can, don’t let it go, don’t let it go” over the album’s most searching and downbeat melody. The title of the album refers to ‘How I Know’ in which mortality comes into play, with the chorus of “Can’t tell you how I know this is where I want you to take me where I die/And I’m full of sleep, underneath the pine on a bed of leaves”. It’s a touching moment and reveals a new depth to the music of Toro Y Moi, a maturing progression across the board.
Underneath the Pine is easily one of the most enjoyable releases of recent times and a really promising sophomore effort from an artist who looks set to continue making rewarding and interesting music. There’s much to love here and like many great LPs, it unravels more with each repeated listen. It also stands alone. Where Causers of This might have been too hastily labelled as part of a momentary musical movement, Underneath the Pine exists entirely by itself, as a Toro Y Moi record, nothing more, nothing less – the amalgamation of ideas of an individual clearly in love with music, and with a lot of his own to give. An early underdog contender for one of 2011’s musical highlights.