Beloved Ark of Music regular Toby Tune, crafter of immersive, light and fluffy soundscapes, adds a formerly unused sound to his tasteful, environment-building synth banks: his voice. That’s right, the aptly titled Toby Opens His Mouth presents 13 tracks with technologically altered vocals, allowing Toby to sing more confidently, since he, in his own words, “can’t sing for sh*t.” So, is Toby Opens His Mouth a successful experiment, or is Toby’s reluctance completely on point? Let’s talk about it.
What kind of music is it?
According to Toby, it’s “13 cuts of music that varies from extreme genres of comedy, grunge, romantic, heartbreak, silly, and something else.”
Now, let’s talk about it.
The album begins with “AND EVERY DAY.” It starts with a spacey flute, and then a bouncing synth current underneath. And on top, we’re graced with Toby’s cosmic voice – it’s floating, a little robotic, and tastefully utilized as an accompanying texture and less a lead vocal.
Track two, “FIX THE CAR,” is an upbeat electronic excursion sliding easily under the “silly” column. Toby’s voice is exaggerated and frustrated; it’s used perfectly here to get across the song’s comical expression of perpetual frustration.
“CHRISTMAS PRESENTS” is a very light affair with staccato strings, shakers, and a voice effect comparable to…Alvin and any nearby chipmunks. It’s quick, spunky, and again, delightfully silly.
“TAXES” features darker, lower piano notes and a very deep, diabolical but distressed vocal. I believe this track shares a bit of Toby’s personal dismay; the reasoning behind his departure from the United States.
“LET ME KISS YOU GOODNIGHT” features clean electric guitar and a robotic, entreating vocal. This danceable, electronic love song simply asks for an opportunity; a chance to share something meaningful in a place where feelings and malware are sadly too comparable.
“SHE WAS A BLONDE” is slow with electronic chiming, and Toby’s voice is quiet, almost whispering. There’s a lot of reverb-heavy ambiance here as the song slinks towards a slightly elevated, and then quickly buttoned-up ending. This is an interesting track that effectively paints a wide space with electronic whisps and washes.
“WHY AM I STANDING IN THIS ROOM?” bounces with a steady drum beat and synth tuba. And over top, Toby asks many questions in a calmly spoken voice; specifically, a refrain of “Why Am I Standing in This Room?” It’s quirky, it’s funny, and expresses an utterly relatable social awkwardness.
Album closer “SHE NEVER SAID” is a darker endeavor with synth sax, electric guitar, and robotically tuned vocals. With strumming acoustic guitar, phasing pads, and accompanying “ooooooo” vocals, “SHE NEVER SAID” sounds like something from The Flaming Lips; something plucked from the last 20 years of their more progressive/psychedelic output. It’s a grand closer, and an effective electronic lament.
But is it good?
Folks, Toby did it — he successfully married vocals to his dense but airy instrumentation, and created a superior work because of it. It’s funny, sad, relatable, even more relevant, and always sonically enthralling. If you’re looking for something experimental, ambient, progressive, and the results of always solid but transitional sonic architecture, you will LOVE Toby Opens His Mouth. Absolutely recommended.
—-
BELOW: Listen to Toby Tune and check him out on Soundcloud and Facebook. Please support Toby Tune by visiting his website and playing, downloading, and/or purchasing his music. And, as always, thank you for supporting real music.
(Want to have your music reviewed on The Ark of Music? Click HERE.)
Follow, stream, download & connect with TOBY TUNE online:
