With his second official release since his debut LP in 2010, Chazwick Bundick, under the multilingual moniker Toro y Moi, manages to secure his place as one of the leaders of the enduring if self-loathing chillwave movement.
Anything In Return features few stylistic changes from Bundick’s previous work. However, this album establishes a sharp refinement of his brand of sample-heavy, jazz-infused electro-funk, almost reminiscent of ‘90s house. The rhythms are captivating, the arrangements multifaceted, and the hooks plentiful — all in all, this healthy batch of tracks could set the tone for the sort of laid back evening indicated by the namesake of the chillwave subgenre.
The opener, “Harm In Change,” is a fitting introduction to the album. Clacking percussion is joined by throbbing bass lines, dissonant piano and moaning vocal samples. Melodic repetition may be the order of the day, but Bundick’s mastery of layered crescendos keeps the song engaging and lively. “Touch” is centered on a bossa nova-style polyrhythm inlaid with sparse keys that comes across like the product of a one-night stand between Washed Out and Tom Jobim. Album closer “How’s It Wrong” serves as another highlight, in which a past love is mourned over a carefree pop groove: “Even though that time is lost / I know we can’t be made up.”
While Bundick’s vocals aren’t emphasized on every song, they are the frailest parts of those on which they are prominently featured. His falsetto is strained, and his lower register wouldn’t sound out of place in a tween-oriented pop-rock outfit. However, the album’s production shines throughout — its slick, rhythm-heavy presentation of millennial funk would make The Neptunes sweat. Clocking in at almost an hour in length, Toro y Moi’s newest release is filled with complex melodies and lush beats that should keep even the most sheepish of feet moving.
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