Toro Y Moi: Underneath The Pine

Underneath The Pine is a more mellow -- albeit funkier -- album than Causers. It definitely has a more live, instrument-driven feel as opposed to that album's electronic, laptop-centric music. The end result shows Bundick's wide breadth as a musician -- channeling his smoother, more downbeat side. By changing his...

By Michael Lopez

February 22, 2011

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Underneath The Pine is a more mellow -- albeit funkier -- album than Causers. It definitely has a more live, instrument-driven feel as opposed to that album's electronic, laptop-centric music. The end result shows Bundick's wide breadth as a musician -- channeling his smoother, more downbeat side. By changing his sound in such a ingenious manner, it's rather clear to see that Bundick's goals are of the lofty variety.

What the critics are saying:

The Guardian: This second effort takes in retro pop, soundtracks, live instrumentation and the Beach Boys, but loses Toro's all-important digital edge. Underneath The Pine is relentlessly beatific.

NME: Bundick began writing it the day after the funeral of a friend; the title refers to his desire, when he shuffles off to join the great majority, to be buried. He's reflecting on how love inevitably becomes loss, but this is neither grim nor glib; instead it sparkles with humanity.

Drowned In Sound: And with its ambient, abstract, grapefruity breakdown, it demonstrates that the results are hardly verse/chorus straightforward - that the aim to ease, electronically, into a listener's subconscious has by no means been abandoned.

Pretty Much Amazing: What this record really excels at is surprise. From "Divinia"'s beautiful simplicity to the peculiar wonder of "Good Hold," Chazwick Bundick releases yet another crowd-pleaser and, most likely, will gain a whole new legion of fans to boot.

Underneath The Pine is out now via Carpark Records. Here is the video for "Still Sound:"

Michael Lopez

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