My Toys Like Me
Where We Are is the debut album from My Toys Like Me and it is a curious affair. At its heart is a paradox of sounding unique yet sounding all too familiar.
At first Frances Noon’s vocals (which are located high in the mix nodding at its pop direction), sound distinct, an innocent, waifish yet world-weary construct. Then you hear traits of other vocalists in it, namely Lily Allen, Lykke Li, a bit of Kate Nash and Martina Topley-Bird.
This is mirrored in the music too. At first it’s a heady concoction of sounds, samples and textures but before long you hear the influence of almost every genre of UK dance over the past two decades.
The most easily identifiable are the globulous miasmic basslines and scratchy static atmosphere of trip hop (All Over My Face, Grin & Wiggle), the angsty guitars and fusion attitude of big beat (especially on Sweetheart), the claustrophobia of dubstep (Quiet Please) and the warped wonky synth stabs of UK garage (Barnaby, Skylights).
Despite this magpie like approach to a plethora of sounds, Where We Areis a curiously one-paced, stoical affair. It has a childish feeling about it, not so much an immaturity but a wide-eyed wonder of the world. Sadly Where We Are also possesses the restricted vocabulary of a child. Where We Areby My Toys Like Me is out May 11th on Dumb Angel.
