TORO Y MOI – BOO BOO – CARPARK

If you don’t mind a little bit of cheese layered on the top of your 1980s-style funk – and let’s face it, who wouldn’t?! – then you’ll like Toro Y Moi. Just when you think you’ve got his songs pigeon holed he throws a mini curveball at you, meaning his songs fit into all sorts of sets and corners. This is ideal music for the hot weather, and as ‘Mirage’ sets out the stall for this latest album it becomes clear the feelings will be soft focus, yearning and a little bit gushy. ‘Pavement’ indicates a wider screen approach, but then ‘Embarcadero’ slows things right down to a hot, sweaty end of night groove. Throughout Chaz Bundick, who is essentially Toro y Moi, enjoys a quirky and warm hearted approach to songwriting which often threatens to spill over into a bona fide hit record. That it doesn’t indicates a willingness to stay a bit underground and experiment a bit – and the best tracks on this record have that restless but very listenable approach.

Ben Hogwood
4 out of 5