Albums to watch

What For?

Toro Y Moi

What For?

Fourth release from the South Carolina-born onetime chillwave pioneer Chaz Bundick sees him exploring psych rock

ADM rating[?]

6.9

Label
Carpark
UK Release date
13/04/2015
US Release date
07/04/2015
  1. 9.0 |   All Music

    There's no telling what the next Toro y Moi album might sound like; all that is certain is What For? is the best one so far, with Bundick really coming into his own as a songwriter, vocalist, and producer
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  2. 8.0 |   The Line Of Best Fit

    What For? sounds like it could have been snatched from the late ‘60s, veneered of course by Bundick’s characteristic knack for pop melody and production
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  3. 8.0 |   Loud And Quiet

    If Toro Y Moi’s previous output was the cool breeze on a warm day then his rich fourth album is the final glowing warm embers of a glistening sun
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  4. 8.0 |   Mojo

    Chamber pop filtered through a lava lamp haze. Print edition only

  5. 8.0 |   Drowned In Sound

    An act on top of their game, one that is looking backward and forward at once, and not deviating from his own vision, though he may seek inspiration from others
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  6. 8.0 |   Beardfood

    It's like these smooth tracks created themselves, like these guitar licks have always been here
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  7. 7.5 |   The 405

    Nothing about What For? seems out of character for Bundick. His evolution as an artist has been measured and natural, he isn't stuck in 2010, still lobbying for the laid-back electronics that made his name in the first place
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  8. 7.0 |   No Ripcord

    His retread of 70s funk and psychedelic pop lies somewhere between a subversive dodge and a playful taunt toward his detractors. And for the most part, it works
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  9. 7.0 |   NME

    Its high points are so charming you're willing to forgive the occasional low one
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  10. 7.0 |   Uncut

    The ear candy effect is undercut by so much studied pastiche of so many cult references. Print edition only

  11. 7.0 |   musicOMH

    He’s shown that he can write great songs, albeit not quite as consistently as one would like. Despite that, What For? still contains over twenty minutes of some of the year’s most decadently enjoyable music
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  12. 7.0 |   Exclaim

    A little less varied than his past records, as the repetitive nature of the genre (particularly the lengthy jam outro of "Yeah Right") has a tendency to creep in
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  13. 7.0 |   Under The Radar

    A bright, sunny chunk of laid-back indie pop; it's Bundick's heaviest use of organic instruments, and it's the best thing he's done in a few years
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  14. 6.7 |   Pretty Much Amazing

    Just as catchy and technically polished as anything Bundick has previously released
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  15. 6.7 |   A.V. Club

    Even at its most thrilling, What For? manages to sound somehow too daring and not daring enough
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  16. 6.6 |   Pitchfork

    The problem isn't that Bundick avoids confrontation or confession—most people do. But What For? is so passive it leaves your system the moment you’re done with it
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  17. 6.5 |   Crack

    Some of the hooks err towards the saccharine
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  18. 6.0 |   Earbuddy

    If you’re looking for some easy yet ultimately content listening, then go check out What For?
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  19. 6.0 |   DIY

    Nothing within the album paves way for the future - instead, it feels like an exercise in honouring the past
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  20. 6.0 |   Q

    Bundick seems to exhale these songs like smoke. Print edition only

  21. 6.0 |   The Skinny

    The laptop now fully unplugged, Bundick arrives squarely in retroland for this fourth album, which is, in essence, pure psychedelic rock
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  22. 6.0 |   NOW

    It's not exactly adventurous, but he remains tough to pigeonhole and doesn't sound like he'll be slowing down any time soon
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  23. 5.0 |   Consequence Of Sound

    It’s an unproductive shrug of an album that can be charming and pleasant if you don’t think too hard about it
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Toro Y Moi: What For?

  • Download full album for just £5.49
  • 1. What You Want £0.99
  • 2. Buffalo £0.99
  • 3. The Flight £0.99
  • 4. Empty Nesters £0.99
  • 5. Ratcliff £0.99
  • 6. Lilly £0.99
  • 7. Spell It Out £0.99
  • 8. Half Dome £0.99
  • 9. Run Baby Run £0.99
  • 10. Yeah Right £0.99
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