Toy - Bad Night

Review by Rebecca Parrott

The album Bad Night by Toy is a powerful and emotive piece of work that showcases the band's ability to create textured and layered soundscapes that are both atmospheric and haunting. From the opening track, "Fast Silver," it is clear that this is a record that is driven by a sense of urgency and intensity, with the band combining elements of post-punk, shoegaze, and psychedelia to create a sound that is both familiar and fresh.

Throughout the album, Toy demonstrate an impressive range of musical styles and influences, with tracks like "Jolt Awake" and "Endlessly" showcasing the band's ability to craft catchy, guitar-driven pop songs, while songs like "Sequence One" and "Left Myself Behind" offer up brooding, introspective pieces that are infused with a sense of melancholy and yearning.

There are moments on Bad Night where the band's experimentation with sound and structure can feel a little overwhelming, with tracks like "Motoring" and "Lose My Way" featuring complex arrangements and intricate layers of instrumentation that can be difficult to fully digest on first listen. However, this is a record that rewards repeated listens, with each subsequent spin revealing new layers and nuances that were previously hidden.

Summary by Rebecca Parrott

Bad Night is a stunning and ambitious album that showcases Toy's ability to create music that is both challenging and accessible, and is sure to cement their status as one of the most exciting and innovative bands around.