Toebow was formed a few years back by veterans of the NYC music scene, including members of BOBBY and Zula. Themes is the full-length followup to their debut EP Spirit Mane. The Brooklyn-based psych-pop band showcases a tapestry of positive, upbeat sounds that are at times odd and unexpected but remain palatable and accessible. Quirky guitar lines flutter over bouncy bass and rumbling percussion, while smooth male-female vocal harmonies, lush synth lines and the occasional drum machine tie the gentle chaos neatly together.
Themes is a tasting plate of Toebow’s distinct flavors. Wacky by nature but severe in execution, Toebow “…artfully straddles the border between sincerity and goofiness” (ThrdCoast) yet their songs often confront the more stoic and sometimes somber sides of their experience. The band name “Toebow” was the name of their first song, and was loosely designed to be an abstraction of the music’s feelings: meaningless yet phonetically profound, abstract yet familiar, the name is devoid of association yet somehow indicative of the overall cartoon sonic template that your ears are in for.
Having spent several years incubating their material at home and at shows, Toebow developed a set of “core” songs that became the staples of their live set. The songs on their new album summarize the themes of Toebow, comprising the fundamental tenets of the band’s serious yet playful sound.
