Last year, the debut from Toro y Moi (real name: Chaz Bundick) tipped him as one of the leading purveyors of "chillwave" — woozy, low-fi, sample-based electronic music for a post-Animal Collective generation. But for his follow-up, Bundick decided to use only organic, live instrumentation. The results are groovier and prettier, touching on baroque pop ("Before I'm Done"), slinky disco ("New Beat") and psych rock ("Good Hold," "How I Know"). Bundick tosses in interludes like "Divina," where the swirl of instruments mimics his debut's hypnotic feel. As Bundick reveals more of his esoteric pop sensibility, comparisons to Beck feel increasingly apt. Whatever wave Bundick is riding, he's likely to be at the front of it.
Listen to "New Beat":
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