EP 3 by T.O.Y.S (EP)

T.O.Y.S

T.O.Y.S show that not all hope is lost on the ‘dancefloor indie’ scene with the new, fun and danceable ‘EP 3’

eeds/London-based trio T.O.Y.S describe their sound as an “uptempo blend of lo-fi pop, Krautrock and dancefloor indie”. For any fans of the latter, EP 3 does not disappoint. The EP starts off with X-static: led by an uptempo sturdy bassline and supported by organ keyboard samples, it definitely gets the ball rolling. Vocally, David Kitchen sounds energetic and apathetic all in one. It’s a real indication of what you can expect from the band. It echoes The Drums, if you replaced feel-good whistles with a darker, retro Yamaha keyboard.

Following track KoKo has a key progression that could be put on a ’90s house track. This may sound like it shouldn’t work, with T.O.Y.S being a predominantly ‘indie’ band; but it breathes life into the overused term ‘dancefloor indie’. For once, it’s actually something you could dance to, and on your average indie night playlist it’d be an exciting addition among the routine plays of Bombay Bicycle Club and The Strokes.

EP 3 shows that the trio aren’t afraid to step back and let their instruments do the talking. The uptempo nature of the EP suggests they would be an interesting live act. This is just another way the band boast a lot of potential. Crystal features a fast-paced, rumbling bassline that leads the song into an almost surf-rock style, but keeping to a formula by featuring an ambiguous, guitar-sounding keyboard solo. It sounds much heavier than the pop and indie labels that they’ve given themselves. It softens their image rather than portraying them as the bold and aggressive sounding band that they are and should be proud to be. In some respects it’s a nice surprise.

Sometimes, distinguishing songs from one another is tricky but for such a new band that’s not such a critical problem. T.O.Y.S have shown massive potential with EP 3. It sees a young band embracing their clear musical influences while at the same time making a sound for themselves and sounding professional about it.

Verdict: A very promising addition to the dancefloor indie scene

Tilly Dowman

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