Photo by Jenna Houchin

Toro y Moi announced and released a New EP and Short film entitled Sandhills. These were both released on Friday, August 25, 2023, with the EP coming out just a little before the short film and both are extraordinarily interesting 

Stereogum writes “The new Toro y Moi EP Sandhills sounds nothing like any of those records. Instead, it’s Chaz Bear returning to his Columbia, South Carolina hometown and making warm, blissful folk-rock.” Then Continues, “On the 14-minute Sandhills EP, Chaz Bear sings about going back to South Carolina and seeing how things have changed, and the music is laid-back, countrified indie rock. The EP comes with a companion film that’s coming out later today. Bear’s high school photography teacher Katherine Perry produced the video, and Perry’s husband Steve, who worked on a video with Bear’s high school band, directed it. The local artist Ernest Lee, also known as Chicken Man, did the Sandhills cover art, and he’s also in the video. Below, stream the Sandhills EP.”

Starting out this EP is fully in the folk rock realm with a twangy guitar and everything. The video seems to show the same vibe with a rural small town and all the things you’d find there. It continues with these vibes throughout and listeners are loving it. A new but nonetheless interesting sound with crisp vocals and a clean but twangy guitar this is simple but elegant. The drums throughout are slow but steady as you might expect in the folky vibes of the songs. Be sure to take a listen and read the tracklist below!

Tracklist 

1. Back Then

2. Sidelines

3. Sandhills

4. The View

5. Said Goodbye to Rock n Roll