Wednesday, September 12, 2007

TOYKULT - ‘Sow Loco’ CD Review by: Shane Christensen

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Introducing, for your listening pleasure... Toykult !

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Toykult is an interesting indie band based out of Montreal, whose three members originally arrived from equally different parts of Europe.

Tom Hamlyn hails from England, and he is the kind of musician I’ve always wanted to be; the guy who can do everything. And he does everything quite well. He sings, plays guitar, writes and arranges the CD’s songs, produces and (importantly) masters the final product. Toykult is definitely Tom’s baby, and that’s okay because he has the talent to warrant this ownership.

Unlike some albums that are driven by a dominant force, Sow Loco provides a varied sound, and doesn’t hesitate to dip its toes into a wide range of musical genres. But make no mistake, this album would be found in the Alternative Rock section at your local record store. Sow Loco also provides enough songs that could be considered techno/dance/electronica which allows it to keep fresh and interesting. I love it when artists push the music industry’s labelling envelope by producing a body of work that defies singular classification. Toykult has achieved this feat.

The bass player in the band, Franck Chionna, originally came from France/Italy, and helped with the production and mastering, as did Toykult’s third member Martin Bennett. Martin is a Scotsman who is also credited with a unique mix of instrumental playing - drums, bass, and sitar.

Usually, I would list the songs on the CD and give a brief descriptive of each, but this is unecessary thanks to www.toykult.com which provides a 90 second sample of each song . There are 5 notable tracks with one, in particular, being the gem that I’m wagering will be heard shortly on national, and alternative radio. Wonderful Lie is the kind of song that I liked immediately, and it continues to grow on me with each listen.

I look forward to my CD player’s repeated plays of Sow Loco and I am confident that my enthusiasm will be soon shared by both FM and INDIE radio listeners alike.

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