Causers of This is the debut full-length of Chazwick Bundick's solo project Toro y Moi from Carpark Records. Bundick first gained notoriety as the lead singer of the indi rock band The Heist and The Accomplice before starting a series of side projects that became associated with "chillwave," a subgenre of synth pop that is typified by degraded synth lines, re-sampled disco beats, and warbly vocals. Considering the hype surrounding any artist tagged with the chillwave label and the industry might of Carpark, it seams almost preordained that Causers of This will end up on many best-of-the-year lists for 2010. While the album certainly has much to praise, I found it somewhat underwhelming.

Bundick displays a considerable amount of production prowess by effortlessly merging a variety of instruments, drum machines, and samples into richly textured and nuanced pop. Toro y Moi has a very distinct sound, taking lo-fi to previously unimagined heights (or should I say depths) of tape hiss and charmingly collaged ruff edges. Unfortunately, as a singer Bundick lacks tonal chops to match his production skills, and his lyrics (when they can be distinguished at all underneath the layers of reverb) are maudlin and clichéd, often spoiling songs that would be better off as instrumentals. This is made most clear on "Imprint After," which finds Bundick taking a stab at a pseudo-Prince falsetto. Few people have the pipes to pull off this type of vocal acrobatics; Bundick is not one of them, rendering what could have been a hot jam into an off key and ill-considered experiment.

Fortunately, after the first few tracks, Causers of This enters more experimental territory and here Toro y Moi really starts to shine. The instrumental fourth track, "Lissoms," combines breathy vocal samples with a quirky house beat that resembles Daedelus at his best. This transitions into "Fax Shadow," a grimy blend of static laced percussion and soulful vocals, tweaked by well-placed pitch bends and pause button cuts. "Thanks Vision" is the album's highpoint, joining the pop sensibility of early songs with the intricate composition of "Fax Shadow." It is also Bundick's strongest vocal performance, a slightly more aggressive drawl that  is conversational and quite charming. The next few songs continue in this vein with a slight drop of quality, before the album finishes incredibly strong with a hyperkinetic glitch party of looped single note refrains and digitally dissected vocals.

Causers of This is most successful when it turns away from the tropes of chillwave and focuses on Bundick's talents as a producer. The best tracks have more in common with left-field hip-hop luminaries such as Prefuse 73 and Caural than with chillwave's Neon Indian or Washed Out. If Bundick can hone in on his strong points and perhaps incorporate guest vocalist to handle the hooks, he is certainly capable of creating some amazing music. However if forthcoming Toro y Moi albums continue along the same path as Causers of This, I personally plan to give them a pass.   
   
-Andy Whitaker