On Hole Erth, Toro y Moi’s Nostalgic Risk Pays Off

The 13-track project opens with “Walking in the Rain,” a trap-influenced, Auto-Tune-fueled intro setting the scene of Bear’s mind—one that features the 37-year-old reckoning with a pain he’s growing away from and romanticizing his journey to self-actualization. “The sky just opened up and made a masterpiece,” Bear says, in a scream-singing tinted by an emo delivery, which may feel new to fans who are used to his soft-sung, minimalistic vocals.

Though Bear has never really been part of the pop or mainstream realm, those who know his sounds can easily recognize his influence in songs by Logic, Mac Miller, Chance the Rapper and Kid Cudi. And as a pioneer of his chillwave stylings, he is well-aware of the sonic effects he’s had on a generation of artists, as evidenced on the braggadocious “HOV.” On the chorus, Bear proudly declares he’s “in the HOV lane,” which could, perhaps, refer to a restrictive traffic lane, but could also allude to HOV himself—Jay-Z—whose influence still has a tight command on the modern architecture of rap.

Bear’s pop-punk fantasy most notably comes to realization on “Hollywood,” which features Ben Gibbard of Death Cab For Cutie. Infectious guitar riffs and a hypnotic kick-drum marry the elements of Death Cab and Toro y Moi’s raw, emotional lyricism—which both acts correspond to by way of their instrumentation. It doesn’t sound like prime 2005 Death Cab, nor does it sound like the downtempo Toro y Moi we’ve come to know and love. Rather, “Hollywood” sounds like a timeless, next-level pairing for both acts, which avid listeners of both artists will surely find therapeutic. The album’s standout is the glimmering “Reseda,” a love letter to the West Coast that features Los Angeles rapper Duckwrth and up-and-comer Elijah Kessler. The three artists put their grunge chops to the test over a blippy, futuristic bedroom-pop beat—a sense of calm caught within the chaos.

While Hole Erth does boast some questionable collaborations—including back-to-back tracks with Don Toliver—the 13 songs flow smoothly throughout the close-knit package. The penultimate track, a team-up with Kevin Abstract and Lev called “Heaven,” makes for a strong, satisfying climax—as the three artists find themselves cynical about their respective realities. Hole Erth features Chaz Bear coming full-circle. Drawing upon alt-rock, Y2K and SoundCloud influences, Bear pulls off a nostalgic risk that sounds more like a fresh, new reinvention of millennial treasures than it does a time capsule. At times, the album recalls the pop-punk era of the late ‘90s to early ‘00s. But as a whole, Hole Erth is reminiscent of the blog era of 15 years ago—the place where Toro y Moi began, and a worthwhile part of his artistry worth bringing back into focus eight many records in.