Coming up with interesting ideas has never been Toy’s problem; corralling them into something consistently enjoyable is another matter. Their 2013 breakthrough, Join the Dots, was a dense, ambitious and occasionally excellent record, but could have gone easier on the extended jams. Its follow-up is equally intriguing (influences include Ennio Morricone film scores and psychedelic folk), but also feels heavy-going in places. At its most engaging, as on We Will Disperse, it balances strung-out hooks and melodies with a more orthodox indie jangle. But the shifting tempo and queasy wig-outs of tracks such as Cinema don’t sound like much fun for anyone other than the band itself.
