Hole Erth, Chaz Bear's eighth full-length studio record as Toro y
Moi, is the genre shapeshifter's most unexpected and bold
move to date, with Bear diving headlong into rap-rock,
Soundcloud rap and Y2K emo. The album blitzes anthemic
pop-punk next to autotuned, melancholic rap - two genres that
inform one another now more than ever before - and packs in
the most features ever on a Toro y Moi album.
A sense of nostalgia sneaks its way into almost every Toro y Moi
release, but angst is an emotion that Bear has never
intentionally explored the way he does here. Tracks like
"Tuesday' channel a specific, yet forever-relatable sense of
adolescent unease. A distorted guitar riff leads into a repeating
chorus that conjures misunderstood teenagers singing aloud,
maybe too loud, while riding bikes through American suburbs.
This foreboding can also be heard on "HOV," though not without
poking some fun with lines like "Romance is so cold / My
advice? To bring a coat."
Bear has the energy, but is acutely aware that his energy isn't
forever. At a time when the internet is blending multiple genres
into one at an increasingly rapid pace, Bear accomplishes the
rare feat of keeping up with the contemporary alternative
listener. Constantly changing, evolving and experimenting is the
heart of Toro y Moi, and on Hole Erth Bear challenges but also
reclaims himself, embracing the myriad sounds and eras that
formed him, while crashing new worlds together.
