D.C.-area upstarts TORO are here with their full album. For a band that's been saddled with shoegaze tags, and even comparisons which name-checked bands like Radiohead, the tunes on the wonderfully-titled I'd Trade It All for a Little More are hefty slabs of bold and distinctive alt-rock. TORO draw upon a lot of influences, sure, and those are obvious at times, but overall, the results on this record please in a big way.
Opener "Standoff" surges with the kind of energy that powered stuff like The Dambuilders and Girls Against Boys in the past on these shores, while the ruminative "Latin Kobe" is pure Birthday Party-inspired menace. It's epic, and the tune has all the churning power of early Mogwai about it too. "He Got Away" is even better, mixing a Temples-y sort of modern psychedelia with Sam Ingram's very Britpop-inspired vocals. The fine "DSD" blends New Wave synths with crunchy chords, and a big, big hook. If you're a fan of newer Brit bands like Blossoms, this is going to be right up your alley. The soaring "Too Successful" is a near-anthem, with a crunch about it that is a little like the best singles from the late waves of Britpop. All through this album, an attentive listener can hear things nicked from (early) Oasis, Ride, and so on, but TORO have a real knack for stitching those obvious points of reference into material which feels boldly their own. That they're Americans doing this, in a city more famous for harDCore is even more to reason to cheer them on.
The cuts on this TORO record largely have strong enough melodies to please even the most cynical of listeners, while there's enough feedback here to thrill any shoegaze or noise-rock fans. Most importantly, TORO sound ambitious and far too often American indie acts don't. In that sense, this record sounds -- as this review has stressed -- more like British stuff than it does current Yank indie, but that's okay by me. I'd Trade It All for a Little More is highly recommended.
I'd Trade It All For a Little More by TORO is out now. Details via Bandcamp.
TORO is playing a benefit show this Friday for their record release. It's April 4 at Transmission on H Street in D.C. Details here.