Weird Light

OK, so, a cop car was parked across the street for an extended period of time. The officer inside said cop car was repeatably shinning a spotlight on a house across the street. This came after I saw a cop shine a flashlight around the house. I have no idea why. Was someone in the house? Am I going crazy? Yes.

The Weeknd: Thursday

After astonishing the underground music scene with the progressive soul of House of Balloons in March, The Weeknd continues to spin heads with Thursday, another free mixtape –– the second part of a trilogy. The third part is named Echoes of Silence and could come out at any moment. Abel Tesfaye, who goes by stage name The Weeknd, is only 21 years old, but way ahead of the game. He throws in everything from hip-hop to post-dubstep to everything in between and inside out.

Thursday eclipses many different moods –– happiness, hysteria, anxiety, speculation, etc. The second track, "Life Of the Party," has a sinister chorus that will melt the faces of industrial music fans. The Weeknd has the talent of sounding both mysterious and inviting at the same time. House of Balloons' lyrics were heavy on sex and drugs and Thursday has its moments. On "The Birds Part 1," Tesfaye sings, "Don't make me make you fall in love with a nigga like me" behind a rolling snare drum and squeaking guitar feedback. The song comes down with a pleasing acoustic guitar passage before "The Birds Part 2" begins with sounds of a girl crying. The song ends with sounds of yelling birds. "Gone," topping out at eight minutes, is a bass heavy track with finger snaps and a middle section of dreamy humming by Tesfaye, who goes on to sing "fuck me while I'm faded" over a narcotic beat.

There are surprises throughout. The acoustic guitar comes back with hand drums for "Rolling Stone," a pretty, emotive walk through some of Thursday's most stripped down, but best sounds. The song ends with guitar feedback and it's on to "Heaven Or Las Vegas," a fantastic finale. The track is dominated by a pulsating Rastafarian bass line, which emerges at the 1:50 mark, continuing alongside electronic flourishes.

The music hits on a high level, but The Weeknd's voice is a marvel. Tesfaye's vocal chords are laced with soul and R&B and it's hypnotic to say the least. Closing your eyes during Thursday is a smart idea, but don't fall asleep because you'll miss something meaningful.

Toro Y Moi: Underneath the Pine

The phrase "Toro y Moi" can be roughly translated as "Bull and I." Toro Y Moi is also another name for Chazwick Bundick, a South Carolina native who has become a leader in the chillwave scene. Despite the moniker; Bundick's music is no bull.

Underneath the Pine is Bundick's second album for Carpark. It's more accomplished than Causers of This, which was more murky in atmosphere. Underneath starts with a lush instrumental, "Intro Chi Chi," which conjures the spirit of the listener, getting them ready for a funky, soulful, and appealing record. The variety of skilled arrangements is what makes this document a stand out. The songs seem perfectly placed. Take "Good Hold," which starts with a chiming piano line, only to carry the piano through with live drums and sparkling electronic textures. Around the 1:35 mark, the song sounds like it's going in and out of a tunnel, reemerging just before everything fades out. "Good Hold" is a perfect set up for album closer "Elise," which presents Bundick in full band form. It would have been easy for Bundick to use a drum machine, but those types of machines have no soul and he knows that, choosing to go with live drums throughout the record. Toro Y Moi hasn't completely parted ways with the aforementioned murk, but it seems better calculated.

The sonic discoveries make this album very enjoyable. The humidity and casual pace of the songs leaves plenty of room for growth with the sounds after repeated listens. However, it only takes one full listen to figure out that there's serious skills by Bundick on display. I would suggest blasting Underneath the Pine during a warm, sunny drive thorough mystical places. Or, anytime, really. Acoustic guitar pinches, synth drones, and impeccable rhythms will perk your ears. Bundick has a thing for analog warmth, but he makes retro chick sound like it's coming from some undisclosed musical genius planet.