Douglas Martin is pretty chill, bro.
Regardless of how you felt about Causers of This, nobody can convincingly deny that it was a zeitgeist-grabber. Through Chaz Bundick’s outstanding musical ear, the debut full-length of his solo project Toro y Moi added a glitzy layer of synthetic sheen to the hissy four-tracks that contemporaries Washed Out and Neon Indian layered synths on top of, with songs like “Minors” and “You Hid” being prime examples of Bundick’s production ability. Now, as chillwave starts to settle in its rightful home in Monthly Hipster Dance Night playlists and H&M fitting rooms, Bundick hires a band and makes a sharp about-face on sophomore full-length Underneath the Pine, which should let him off the hook for his debut extending the shelf life of chillwave by another full year.
The album begins with a buzzing amp and the light shaking of a tambourine, a far cry from the clipped electronic drums and computer-manipulated synths of Causers opener “Blessa”. Driven by a pair of bongos, drifting wordless vocals, and glowing keyboards, “Intro / Chi Chi” sets the tone for the psychedelic dreaminess that underscores Underneath the Pine. Jumping right into recent single “New Beat,” the full-band dynamic pays off instantly, creating a hallucinogenic disco track that’s just as much trippy as it is danceable. Jeff compared it to Dam-Funk, which is a fairly apt comparison, given both artists’ natural– maybe even preternatural– sense of rhythm. Nowhere is this better proven than on the singles (“Still Sound” and the aforementioned “New Beat”), alchemizing syncopated drumbeats, basslines buoyant with countermelody, swirling keys, and Bundick’s otherworldly melodies with a remarkable amount of precision.
Even more impressive is when Bundick and his group side-step dance music and explore other genres. The depth of his musicianship shouldn’t be surprising to anyone familiar with his 2009 demos, as it was almost schizophrenic in its breadth. Lo-fi rock, swirling psych-folk, and a pretty straightforward cover of Beach House’s “Master of None” sat alongside what wasn’t quite being called “chillwave” yet, providing an interesting peek at Bundick’s talent.
Unlike the Toro y Moi demos, Underneath the Pine succeeds because there’s a strong thread of cohesion that runs throughout the record, regardless of the number of genres explored. After an intro is picked out on acoustic guitar(!), “Before I’m Done” recalls the quieter, more laid-back selections from Dungen’s catalog, with Bundick’s lilting, double-track vocals being eerily reminiscent of Gustav Ejstes. “Got Blinded” similarly evokes the 70’s soft-ish-rock of Midlake’s stellar 2006 album The Trials of Van Occupanther , with its sweet-spot-hitting harmonies and vintage synthesizers. The most striking thing about Underneath the Pine, much like the aforementioned Midlake record, is the analog warmth that beams off of all of its songs. This gives an organic quality to the dance-oriented tracks– the diametric opposite of the metallic, almost-robotic distance of Causers– and injects of sun-kissed, spring-like feeling to the rest of the songs, without doing that contrived “beachy” thing that bands over the past two years have been using as a crutch.
As the dissonant ballad “Good Hold” makes way for stunning closer “Elise,” the band seems to be at the height of their powers, creating a stirring climax for the record, built around the album’s best chorus. It’s a moment that makes you realize how much promise is capitalized upon on Underneath the Pine; a flash-in-the-pan genre spawns a genuinely talented musician who distances himself from the punchline, creating one of 2011’s best albums so far while doing so. Maybe chillwave ended up being good for something after all.
Download:
MP3: Toro y Moi-”Still Sound”
Toro Y Moi “New Beat” by carparkrecords
6 comments
Defend TIller says:
February 17, 2011 at 6:23 pm (UTC -7)
I don’t understand the blognoscenti’s non-conformist posturing in dismissing *chillwave.* To find it on this website is especially galling considering last week’s shit fit about critics wading in the indie-end of genre pools. Now that James Blake has created one of the best albums of 2011, can we say *dubstep* ended up being good for something after all? I mean, yes, faded-out polaroids of people on their way to the beach got a little played out… but did Feel it All Around ever stop being awesome? Wasn’t Psychic Chasms pretty great from front-to-back? Wasn’t *chillwave* both an unfortunate example of knee-jerk critical genre-branding and a useful signpost for people interested in hearing some interesting new music?
And isn’t Odd Future just a black Insane Clown Posse with a campier stage show?
Passion of the Weiss says:
February 17, 2011 at 6:42 pm (UTC -7)
I’m not going to defend Douglas or Sach because they can do it themselves. However, I think you’re misreading tongue-in-cheek joking for critical condemnation. This site had both “Psychic Chasms”and Washed Out on our 2009 year-end.Those are very good albums and I don’t think any of us would argue otherwise.
The truth is that chillwave was a stupid genre name lazily ascribed to a bunch of artists whose chief sonic similarity was that they had the same album covers. Whereas dubstep was a close knit community borne out of a London nightclub, a few websites, and radio shows, chillwave was little more than a meme circulated by Hipster Runoff. Genres created by music writers trolling on the Net are always suspect.
And when ICP writes a song as harrowing or as honest as “Bastard” then come and find me.
douglas martin says:
February 17, 2011 at 11:35 pm (UTC -7)
let’s back up here. first, there are a few “chillwave” artists that we’ve championed here on passion, including the acts that jeff mentioned. also, did you miss the part where i branded chaz bundick as a genuinely talented producer, or did were you too busy looking for the H&M punchline? secondly, chillwave was branded as a joke from its inception, and most of the worthwhile artists in the genre will tell you so. also, to say “dubstep ended up being good for something after all” would suggest that dubstep hasn’t always been good, a point sach would swiftly disprove you on.
also, the odd future diss was cute. if it’s not your thing, it’s not your thing. but the way they can captivate and audience live is undeniable.
Defend Tiller says:
February 18, 2011 at 3:15 am (UTC -7)
My apologies for any undue offense! I am well aware that writers here have previously lauded chillwave branded artists. I guess my point was that while there’s no denying that chillwave was a “stupid genre name” and Hipster Runoff meme, it always seemed at least as fitting a tag as “trip-hop”, “post-punk,” or even “slutwave.” If we concede that language itself is an imperfect medium to discuss music, then we should accept that critical attempts to graft a “word” to a “sound” will always be essentially glorified onomatopoeia. But, so what? Gang of Four riffs really do sound “angular.” Feel it All Around completed warranted the descriptor “chillwave.” Even if the artists associated with the genre think “chillwave” is a silly label, it doesn’t mean it’s entirely misleading.
But maybe I’m the only person actually defensive about the legitimacy of a music blog ascribed genre title. I just think it’s entirely possible that “talented producer” and “chillwave artist” aren’t mutually exclusive terms. Chaz Bundick shouldn’t have to “transcend” chillwave to make good music.
douglas martin says:
February 18, 2011 at 4:45 am (UTC -7)
i respect your opinion, but i wouldn’t have said ’causers of this’ was a good album “in spite of it being chillwave” (same for ‘psychic chasms’ and ‘life of leisure’) if i felt the same way. trust me when i say that i’ve waded through those waters (pardon the pun) and have come up with only seaweed. i simply don’t think that chillwave has any staying power, and i’ve made that clear in no uncertain terms.
but you are welcome to stop by and say “i told you so” if we’re still talking about chillwave in 2012.
Passion of the Weiss says:
February 18, 2011 at 10:43 am (UTC -7)
If “Glo-fi” had won out we wouldn’t have even had such a silly conversation. That one actually made sense.