the LUNA music word 'em up: TORO Y MOI - Underneath The Pine (Carpark)

Toro Y Moi made an impression last year with his debut album "Causers Of This." The record came out late in the chillwave race, but it bared all of the genre's hallmarks - mellow dance-oriented music with one foot in the 80s and one foot in modern indie rock, and more than a touch of "hypnagogic pop." Even though the record came in the wake of Neon Indian, Memory Tapes and Washed out, Toro Y Moi, a/k/a Chaz Bundick, added something more to the burgeoning genre. His was a more experimental voice than his predecessors, and while chillwave was certainly the platform from where he was jumping off, he wasn't afraid to land somewhere else entirely. IDM, dubstep and Italo disco were just as much a part of Chaz's vision as was 80's synth pop. The record was a grower, and even though it wasn't immediately as accessible as his peers' work, his willingness to work outside of the genre made "Causers" the record that holds up the best on repeated listens.

Almost a year to the date that "Causers" was released, and while his predecessors have all but dropped out of sight, assumedly working on their own follow ups, Toro Y Moi has released his second full length "Underneath The Pine." "Released," though, is such a small word to describe what the eventual impact of "Pine" will be, instead I should say 'Toro Y Moi has thrown down the gauntlet with "Underneath The Pine.'" Yes, it's that good.

First things first: Chaz has moved well beyond chillwave on "Pine." In fact, he has virtually reconstructed his sound from the ground up and in the process produced the genre's first organic sounding record. Actually, In honor of Chaz's leap forward, I'm going to retire the use of "chillwave" to describe his music from here on out. Not only is that c-word missing from the record, but so is synthpop (except on occasion), IDM and dubstep. Instead "Pine" finds Chaz channeling the atmospheric groove of Air and their forefathers Morricone, Gainsburg, Jean Michel Jarre and Tangerine Dream, as well as the hallucinatory haze of Broadcast and "Valerie And Her Week Of Wonders." It all makes for a sometimes dark, sometimes delirious, sometimes dense, and sometimes dreamy trip, but one that is always incredibly engaging and often funky as hell.

Not all of "Pine" is drenched in the mist and memory of Europe though, following the near hauntological "Intro/Chi Chi," Chaz quickly hits the dance floor with "New Beat," in the style of classic disco. Yet, the track is dreamier than any disco song that I know, and when it hits a trippy little bridge of disembodied vocals and ghostly twinkling keys, you get the sense that the spooky fog of "Intro/Chi Chi" is a sign of things to come, rather than a throwaway prelude. And it is. Much of the rest of the album is a dense mixture of bass, low key electronics and subtle, but oddly powerful, percussion, and it all kind of rocks. It's like a more European version of "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix" rounded out at the edges by "The Virgin Suicides." And while I am comparing this album to other benchmarks more than I usually compare artists' original work, it is only because for once I am at a loss to describe the beauty, wonder and energy of this record. It does sound like those other artists and their works, but it also sounds like something utterly unique and special, and more than a little contradictory. For instance, "Divina" is a stately number comprised of mixed keys, bass and drums that sounds like it could soundtrack the best sex ever, or a tragic end. "Before I'm Done" is an acoustic driven piece of melancholy that still manages to find a groove in the midst of its sadness. Then there is "Got Blinded." It starts out sounding like it might be another dance track in the vein of "New Beat," but no, it's going somewhere much more immediate and emotional. It's pop, but it's thoughtful, syncopated, dreamy pop that burns with an urgency. "Got Blinded" marks the record's mid-point, and it only gets better from there. "How I Know" follows and manages to elicit a near headbang, not for the presence of any distorted guitars or loudness, but for its intensity. That intensity characterizes the record more and more as it progresses, leaving that c-word far behind. Not only musically, but emotionally as well, "Pine" is based on a passion that is anything but chill.

Things get darker on tracks like "Light Black," a menacing number that rocks and rolls with the finest tripped-out rhythms I have heard in a long time. "Still Sound" is the record's only second-half bright spot, and by bright spot I don't mean good, because every one of these songs are insanely good, but bright in terms of tone and mood. It's an upbeat head nodder that not surprisingly happens to be the album's first single, but as good as it is, it can't hold a candle to what comes next. "Good Hold" begins with discordant keys that sound like a funeral at a funhouse, and while at first Chaz's vocals sound like they might provide some solace to the song's sorrow, they end up only compounding the haunting nature of the piece. The record comes to a close with "Elise," "Pine's" best track. It's a tightly coiled number broken up by a slightly dubby and jazzy middle section that contrasts with the burn of the chorus when it comes back in, making for a powerful conclusion that is almost violent in nature. This is sophisticated pop music of the highest level.

It is hard to imagine a better album of the sort dropping this year, or next for that matter. With confidence I will say that "Underneath The Pine" is already one of 2011's best records, even at this early date. Toro Y Moi has taken a left turn away from his origins, and in doing so has crafted an exhilarating and thoughtful work. More than most records I can see this being revisited decades from now. Like I said, "Underneath The Pine" really is that good. Highest recommendation possible.

"Still Sound"

Toro Y Moi "Still Sound" {Official Video} from stevedanielsfilms on Vimeo.