Songs of Consumption

TOY started 2019 with one of their lushest releases and ended it with a study in minimalism. On the full-length Happy in the Hollow, they indulged in as many styles and sounds as they could pack into its songs, but on Songs of Consumption, they dont pile on layer after layer to keep things interesting. Both rawer and more electronic than any of their previous music, this covers EP finds TOY drawing on the evocative simplicity of vintage synth pop, minimal wave, and electro-punk as they reimagine songs by artists ranging from the Troggs to John Barry. Not only does the band have an enviable record collection, they know how to pick songs that challenge them. They begin the EP with one of their biggest departures: Their taut version of Down on the Street trades the Stooges raw power for sullen synth rock with a cruise-controlled Motorik beat that sounds more like the work of the KVB or A Place to Bury Strangers than Iggy Pop and company. The band gives Nicos Sixty Forty a makeover thats nearly as radical, miniaturizing its dark, rolling majesty into something more intimate but just as poignant. Their dedication to stripping these songs down to their bones yields especially fascinating results on A Dolls House, where they translate the complexity of John Barrys composition with just a handful of instruments. Even when TOY returns to a more familiar sound, they do it creatively. Their version of Follow Me, originally by the French dark synth pop duo Scratch Massive, calls to mind minimal wave at its prettiest, as well as the crystalline beauty of their own album Clear Shot. Not every experiment is a complete success; the covers of Soft Cells Fun City and Willie Nelsons Always on My Mind are engaging, but a little too faithful to the original versions (or in the case of the latter song, too faithful to Pet Shop Boys brilliant reinterpretation). Still, TOYs willingness to try new things on Songs of Consumption proves theres more to their music than the dreamy fog of most of their previous albums. ~ Heather Phares