With 2019 fresh upon us, hopefully the splendour of Outer Peace is an eclectic foreshadowing of a thrilling year in music.
Outer Peace doesn’t answer any deep, existential questions and doesn’t claim to do so. But even as the album expresses doubt and confusion, it finds a lot worthwhile in ordinary life, especially the little things that make this moment—the one you’re in right now—infinitely better.
Outer Peace is a feat of modern pop music that Toro Y Moi should be incredibly happy with. It brings together what could easily be – if crafted by the wrong hands – disparate musical elements, and combines them to make something playful, intriguing and unusually intellectual.
Chock-full of gluey basslines and gleaming synths, Outer Peace is very much a dance record and it’s pure ecstasy.
Chaz Bear delivers a smartly crafted, comfortably mid-fi album of grooves and melancholy—it’s one of his best albums in years.
Outer Peace ultimately strikes a cool balance between playfulness and pensivity, the energy of youth and the calm of adulthood, and introspection that avoids becoming too morose or cynical.
Outer Peace, depending on the setting, could be categorized as an album of tasteful chill music, playlist filler, or music to soundtrack a sun-drenched rooftop party.
The songs come off like bad imitations of Drake or the Weeknd and that's not something anyone needs in 2019. Subtract the handful of tracks that fall into this category and what's left is a fun, very well-crafted EP of uplifting dance music, the best Bear has made yet.
Overall, the first half of Outer Peace sparkles, but there is a disappointing limpness to the second part which suggests that the ideas ran out and two EPs of excellent material could have been produced instead of one album’s worth of work.
Synth funk and alternative R&B aesthetics clash on Toro y Moi's latest album.
Outer Peace is a half-hearted attempt coming from an artist who’s testing a series of rough sketches in real time.
I like the overall chill vibe but nothing really stood out to me on this album. Feels like one that I might've enjoyed listening to at the time but probably won't ever get back round to it again
This isn't as technically impressive as a lot of his other albums, but he makes up for it with how fun and groovy it is. Almost every song just makes me want to dance. It's not my favorite Toro record, but it's definitely one I play frequently.
Favorite tracks: Fading, Ordinary Pleasure, Laws of the Universe, Baby Drive It Down, Freelance, Who I Am, Monte Carlo
Least favorite: Miss Me
“Outer Peace” teases a futuristic throwback of funky dance-floor gatherings, however; along the way, it finds itself indulging in other inspirations that aren’t as captivating.
BEST: “Ordinary Pleasure”
———
WORST: “50-50”
I like the overall chill vibe but nothing really stood out to me on this album. Feels like one that I might've enjoyed listening to at the time but probably won't ever get back round to it again
Nothing too technically impressive but there are some fun bouncy tracks on this that make it an enjoyable listen
1 | Fading 3:17 | 80 |
2 | Ordinary Pleasure 3:03 | 85 |
3 | Laws of the Universe 2:49 | 81 |
4 | Miss Me 3:00 feat. ABRA | 68 |
5 | New House 2:30 | 75 |
6 | Baby Drive It Down 3:07 | 74 |
7 | Freelance 3:45 | 79 |
8 | Who I Am 3:28 | 81 |
9 | Monte Carlo 2:05 feat. Wet | 70 |
10 | 50 - 50 3:26 feat. Instupendo | 73 |
#11 | / | Passion of the Weiss |
#17 | / | Complex |
#35 | / | Double J |
#36 | / | Gorilla vs. Bear |
#36 | / | Piccadilly Records |
#41 | / | Rough Trade |
#43 | / | Dummy |
#44 | / | Treble |
#63 | / | Bandcamp Daily |
/ | Esquire (UK) |