London’s TOY have already kicked up a stir across the pond, getting themselves on a number of high-ranking “Best Of” lists with their 2012 self-titled debut.
Review: TOY – Join the Dots
National Music Reviews
TOY
Join the Dots
Heavenly Recordings
Street: 12.10.13
TOY = Tame Impala + Holograms + Pulp
London’s TOY have already kicked up a stir across the pond, getting themselves on a number of high-ranking “Best Of” lists with their 2012 self-titled debut. Join the Dots furthers the idea of “psyche-meets-Kraut” by throwing out huge, psych-y dollops of fuzz-tone and synth warbling and then, through long and spacey mid-sections, peeling back the gazey veneer to reveal a churning and mechanic underbelly. It’s in the persistent thrum of the title track, the “spaceship landing” sequence in “Conductor,” the plaintive, melting quality of “Endlessly,” “Left to Wander”’s New Order–esque composition. It’s a captivating result, drawing listeners into something that’s explosive and persistent that ebbs and meanders with a metronomic conviction. It’s all-encompassing. It’s danceable. It’s got hooks for days. What more can you really ask for? It’s sure to make more critical lists in the future—this is space-post-punk done right. –Dylan Chadwick
Join the Dots
Heavenly Recordings
Street: 12.10.13
TOY = Tame Impala + Holograms + Pulp
London’s TOY have already kicked up a stir across the pond, getting themselves on a number of high-ranking “Best Of” lists with their 2012 self-titled debut. Join the Dots furthers the idea of “psyche-meets-Kraut” by throwing out huge, psych-y dollops of fuzz-tone and synth warbling and then, through long and spacey mid-sections, peeling back the gazey veneer to reveal a churning and mechanic underbelly. It’s in the persistent thrum of the title track, the “spaceship landing” sequence in “Conductor,” the plaintive, melting quality of “Endlessly,” “Left to Wander”’s New Order–esque composition. It’s a captivating result, drawing listeners into something that’s explosive and persistent that ebbs and meanders with a metronomic conviction. It’s all-encompassing. It’s danceable. It’s got hooks for days. What more can you really ask for? It’s sure to make more critical lists in the future—this is space-post-punk done right. –Dylan Chadwick
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