Album: Toy – Join The Dots

Released 9^th December, 2013

Heavenly Records

5/10

Only a year after the release of Toy’s self-titled debut album, the announcement of Join The Dots seemed a little premature. Bands often struggle to overcome ‘second album syndrome’ and with Join The Dots sounding more like a collection of demos than a matured follow up album, this cliché is proven to be true. An unspoken rule says that songs lasting over seven minutes have got to be worth your while, but the three tracks on Join The Dots that extend beyond a traditional length, sound more like a gig rehearsal. Left waiting for the lengthy introduction to lead to something spectacular, the climax that makes just a minor appearance is somewhat underwhelming. ‘Conductor’ opens the album, progressing from ethereal eeriness to some sort of space rocket crash, proving that Toy are not about conforming to any musical norms. But while the psychedelic sound of ‘Frozen Atmosphere’ and ‘To A Death Unknown’ re-establish Toy’s title as krautrock chiefs, they’re the kind of songs that would work much better live.

In spite of its seven minute duration, the album’s title-track works well in staying the coherent side of experimentalism, with a catchy chorus sustaining the structure from which improvisation can be built. Likewise songs such as ‘Endlessly’ and ‘You Won’t Be The Same’ find the right balance between the obviousness of pop that Toy are keen to avoid, and the aimless psychedelia the rest of the album captures. Elsewhere tracks are made up of layers of sound that develop little by little until the individual instruments are indecipherable. This multi-layered mash up of noise is complemented by the monotone drone of Tom Dougal’s vocals, which remain unchanging throughout the entire record. If psychedelia is meant to endorse a sense of hallucination preferable to reality, Toy’s new album drags you to place that would probably grow dull very soon.

Tame Impala manage to capture a similar hallucinogenic sound and make it accessible to the masses, but that is clearly not the intention of Toy. As ‘Fall Out Of Love’ closes the album, falling only a few seconds short of ten minutes, Join The Dots can be epitomised by its opening and closing tracks. By honing in on experimentalism, Toy manage to avoid the manufactured sound of commercialism, but that doesn’t make the album any easier for your average listener to digest.