Toro y Moi - Outer Peace (Album Review)

Today, life is all about satisfaction. We try to go about our days in the most comfortable ways possible. This lifestyle that now dominates culture is the “Internet’s promise,” according to Toro y Moi. In his new record Outer Peace, Toro y Moi explores our comfort-seeking lives by celebrating culture rather than trying to change it.

Outer Peace is more or less a snapshot of our times: Toro y Moi’s buzzy, reverberating synths and bedroom pop simplicity captures how we go about our every day lives, seeking comfort while caught in an endless cycle of work. Life is anything but monotonous in Outer Peace, however. Opening track ‘Fading‘ introduces the record with a hypnotizing atmosphere, the schizophrenic vocals coming together in this beautifully jagged and chaotic way, fitting right in with the playful percussion and swelling synths that accompany them. The key loop in ‘Baby Drive It Down‘ is just as captivating, Toro y Moi’s sweet and hopeful delivery painting a wonderful aesthetic for the track. ‘Miss Me‘ is entrancing in the opposite way as the other tracks: rather than using complex movements to create something deceptively simple, ‘Miss Me’ is minimalistic and simple, with little more than a few sensual synths and Abra‘s ghastly vocals.

It’s almost like you can interact with the music with how full of life it is. The funky, infectious bassline in ‘Ordinary Pleasure‘ adds a fun and daring color to the record. It’s a weird track, but in a gracious and precise way. More of an attitude is present in ‘Freelance‘ as Toro y Moi continues to explore themes of comfort even when we’re caught in a cycle of work, yet it’s not angry: if anything, it’s motivating you to find success in this way. That same idea is present in ‘Laws Of The Universe,’ the cool vibe of which keeps the album fresh and playful. More adventurous vibes are present in ‘Who I Am‘ and the pretty ‘Monte Carlo‘ with Wet, before ‘50-50‘ ends the record, the enchanting track that features Instupendo finding the perfect atmosphere to take things out with.

We’re in no rush. Toro y Moi convinces us in Outer Peace that our modern mission is to succeed in comfort. Whether it be from your home or simply wearing something more casual, he wants you to succeed in style. There’s no call to action or anything of the sort in Outer Peace; rather, it’s more like subtle motivation, as if to say we’re all part of this culture that wants to make something of itself. If there’s anything Toro y Moi wants you to do, it’s to find your coziest clothes and get working on something.

Favorite Tracks: Laws Of The Universe, Fading, Baby Drive It Down

Least Favorite Track: New House

Rating: 88 / 100

Stream or buy Outer Peace on Apple Music, and follow our 2019 Playlist on Spotify: