Clear Shot is the new atmospheric ten track album from neo-psychedelic Brighton band TOY. In the three years since their last album, Join The Dots, the band have lost keyboardist Alejandra Diez but gained a more experimental sound, offering a refreshing change amidst the grime and pop suffocating the music scene this year.

No track on the album is an easy listen, each song laced with hypnotic melodies and monotone vocals to entrance the listener and almost demand their entire focus. The opening track ‘Clear Shot’ offers a one minute intro to keep fans in suspense just that bit longer, a risky feat that would deter a lazier listener. Nevertheless, enduring the repetitive rhythmic build-up to the compelling vocals of lead singer Tom Dougall evokes a sense of intrigue, one that encourages you to continue through the whole album.

The stand out track is ‘Fast Silver’. The layering of subtle percussion over soothing guitar perforated by the keyboard creates a well assembled enjoyable grunge-pop track. Nevertheless, the more up-beat pace of ‘Dream Orchestrator’ and ‘We Will Disperse’ offers another dimension to their aesthetic, with a sound dominated by the synth, perhaps more appealing to the masses. Being relatable and mass produced doesn’t however seem to be a priority for this group at all, with their final track ‘Cinema’ seven minutes and fourteen seconds of artistic musical manipulation that would go unappreciated by many. The intense ethereal slow paced sound at the start clashed with the teen-angst style climax of drums and high pitched synth sounds as the track ended, creating a piece that encapsulated the myriad of emotions created by cinematic productions.

Their gothic tone definitely appeals to a particular audience- TOY are not an artist you’d expect to hear in Pryzm anytime soon. However, their dedication to the revival of the shoegaze sound that lagged post 90s is something to commend.

Andrea Loftus

(Image: DIY Magazine)