Totorro

Home Alone

Written by: LF on 23/09/2014 12:47:15

Whether or not the band Totorro have in fact chosen their name with reference to a certain beloved movie character, I have regrettably not been able to find out. What I do know, is that the quartet hails from Rennes, France, and that they play a brand of mathy and at times ambient post-rock that sets a mood that will bring you right back to the warm days of Summer, even as the European weather is beginning to feel increasingly like Autumn. I recently saw them at Postfest 2014, and as they managed to play a solid set there, I was convinced that they also deserved a review of their debut album from April this year.

"Home Alone" is a playful record from start to finish. After the frantically paced and short title-track, one of the only ones to feature vocals in the sound, we are thrown right into the pleasant embrace of the most summery song of the album, "Chevalier Bulltoe". It features most of the lighter elements of Totorro's general sound, which include cheeky guitar melodies, clever but casual composition and positive vibes overall. This mostly light sound is however still firmly grounded as the drums and the bass gradually get louder in the sound, building up to a casual but climactic ending dominated by the melodious guitars again. The pace of the record in general is fast, "Tonton Alain Michel" being the most obvious candidate for winning the race.

Although I like several elements in Totorro's music, the album overall is almost too harmless for me. The slow-paced "Osao San" that starts with heavily distorted guitars, is therefore arguably the best song here. It includes many of the elements that dominate some of the other songs, but manages to combine them all successfully, while having a heavier foundation as well, that ultimately gives it an edge that the more careless and happily free-flowing songs don't have. This is also the second of the two songs that include vocals, and these are sung in unison by several band members, sounding like they come from far away in the mix. As such, the vocals are harmonious but other than spicing the break of the song up in that department, they don't seem to do anything specific for the composition. I prefer when the band stick to various cheers or hums, for instance on "Festivalbini", the latter half of which I really enjoy for its infectious riff and rapid rhythmic changes.

So what we have here is a playful album that is excellent for lightening the mood in any situation and easy to listen to, but which lacks a sense of purpose to me. Most songs end up floating by me, as I only really notice some of the more catchy riffs and not the totality of the compositions. However, I do feel that the band is fully capable of bettering this on their next record considering their instrumental skills, and I'll look forward with curiosity to see what kind of expression they'll develop.

7

Download: Chevalier Bulltoe, Osao San, Eric Colson
For The Fans Of: And So I Watch You From Afar, Oh Hiroshima, Lights At Sea, The Shaking Sensations
Listen: facebook.com/pages/TOTORRO

Release date 28.04.2014
Recreation Center

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