With the calendar
turning once again to festival season, and thus Manchester's ever
growing Parklife festival, certain acts stood raised against a
intriguing and varied bill. One of these being Toro y Moi, the alias
of South Carolina resident Chazwick Bradley Bundick, why a pseudonym
was needed one can only wonder. Achieving recognition in certain
spheres (Rolling Stone, Pitchfork etc.) with début
Causers of
This, Chaz was hailed as a
pioneer of an emerging genre chill-wave movement but has yet to have
cross over success. His follow up
Underneath the Pine
offered a musician differing
from his début with more emphasis on vocal melodies and introducing
elements of funk to his sound destined to be the soundtrack to the
connoisseur's summer. Appearing on the Now Wave stage on the Sunday
of the festival Toro y Moi was a promising start to the second day
which boasted a billing of diversity and quality throughout the day,
commendation to Now Wave as always for enriching the quality of
Manchester and the festival. Backed by a three-piece band Bundick
demonstrates the strength of the songs of his most recent release
Anything in Return,
which demonstrates the great diversity of Chaz's song writing
introducing a more pop-conscious sound on his longest release yet. In
the live sphere the record is given room to grow providing a stage
for unreleased tracks affording them a much deserved spotlight.
“Living High” is given power through the chorus that one might
miss in the sheen of the album's production standing as one of the
strongest moments of the set. This added energy does however in no
way detract from the subtleties of the album's production and tracks
swell with as much quality live as witnessed on the record. Finishing
the short set with
Anything in Return's
lead single “So Many Details”, Toro y Moi set the bar high for
the tent's acts to follow with Chaz's reserved but confident stage
presence not betraying the strength of the songs and being every bit
as enticing as the previously documented performer. It seems that as
his Afro grows, now at a respectable size, his following and
reputation will continue to do so and soon he will receive billing
and reception that reflects the quality of his performance and music.
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