There was a time when it was perfectly normal to venture out of an evening and partake of a fix of live music. Although it seems so long ago now, and I grow sentimental reminiscing about the sounds of those halcyon days, I mention this rose tinted fact as it was on one of those random missions of musical discovery that I first stumbled into Order of the Toad and here they now are with a vinyl album called “Re-order of the Toad”.
So, what of the music that fills the grooves? Well, you could call it quirky without fear of contradiction yet I doubt the plan was to make an album that was deliberately different and, while there is indeed a surfeit of familiar elements from folk, psychedelia and alt-rock, “Re-order of the Toad” isn’t merely an album of trendy influences assembled to impress the beard scratchers of this world. “Re-order of the Toad” is an album that can genuinely be called interesting as there is so much going on in front of, and between, your ears that you have do a take two just to wonder once again what those songs are actually about.
If I had to give an opinion, I might even suggest that Order of the Toad are on a mission to make the avant-garde accessible to the masses by introducing carefully measured quantities of freeform experimentation into their own supremely precise songs but, no matter how I might ponder, this is still an album that invigorates your spirit and powers your curiosity about any and all music. Not many bands can claim to do that as their party trick.
“Re-order of the Toad” is available on vinyl from Bandcamp.
Best song? The hypnotic “Mend It”.
The verdict? A tonic for tired ears.