{"product_id":"toner-silk-road","title":"TONER - SILK ROAD","description":"\u003cp class=\"\"\u003e\"What started out as a solo project in 2014 before growing into a four piece group, the Oakland, California-based slacker rock band \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/tonerca\/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eToner\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e is back with another full-length record. \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/tonerca.bandcamp.com\/album\/silk-road\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eSilk Road\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e, the band’s third LP and fifth overall project following the 2017 record \u003cem\u003eKilling Pace\u003c\/em\u003e, sees Toner far more polished than ever before. While a refinement in sound is expected after five separate records, the most striking thing about Toner’s songwriting this time around is not just its maturity but the amount of variety the band manages to pack into \u003cem\u003eSilk Road’s\u003c\/em\u003e brisk twenty minute runtime.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003eScouring Bandcamp, it’s easy to write Toner off as just another lo-fi, slacker rock band aping off the revived shoegaze sound popularized by outfits like Hundredth, Nothing, Yuck, and the like. While Toner fits snuggly into that mold, playing alternative rock slathered in effects like fuzz and reverb, the four piece surprisingly blend genres to create a sound unique to them. It’s an enticing amalgam of bedroom pop, surf rock, shoegaze, and lo-fi punk. As a result, \u003cem\u003eSilk Road\u003c\/em\u003e is a journey of slower, melodic cuts and upbeat, summery tracks perfect for a day in the sun.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003eTake the record’s first two songs, “’95 Slow” and “Smoov”. Both expertly set \u003cem\u003eSilk Road’s\u003c\/em\u003e mood, two blissed-out tracks that see Toner flexing not only its love of effects but also its penchant for warbly solos and slick guitar licks. These songs are bouncy and fun, featuring a cascading mix of clean and distorted tones that create a dynamic cacophony of noise. Though noise is a prominent part of Toner’s sound, the band isn’t a one-trick pony. Deeper into \u003cem\u003eSilk Road\u003c\/em\u003e is “B.C. Hope,” a slower cut that shows off Toner’s shoegaze chops before it explodes into a two-step rhythm, and “Cherry Plaza,” a jangly tune that has a lot more in common with surf rock than anything else. These are just four highlights from \u003cem\u003eSilk Road’s\u003c\/em\u003e ten tracks, all of which run the gamut of styles from fuzzy acoustic pop to grungy indie rock.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003eNot every track on \u003cem\u003eSilk Road\u003c\/em\u003e is long, though, with more than half of them barely crossing the minute and a half mark. The record can feel incredibly short, especially when the final track, “Heavy Glow” comes to an abrupt end after a pretty cool solo. Despite its brevity, \u003cem\u003eSilk Road\u003c\/em\u003e is an enjoyable listen that’s filled with dreamy pop rock not confined inside of any particular box. Toner, on this latest record, experiment with a variety of sounds with aplomb. \u003cem\u003eSilk Road\u003c\/em\u003e is all the better for it thanks to Toner’s insistence on experimentation with noise, genres, and dynamics.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003e- \u003cspan\u003eJeremy Winslow\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Smoking Room","offers":[{"title":"Vinyl LP","offer_id":53763132195129,"sku":null,"price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0060\/2744\/4291\/files\/0043527616_71.jpg?v=1783800214","url":"https:\/\/www.goingundergroundrecords.com\/products\/toner-silk-road","provider":"Going Underground Records","version":"1.0","type":"link"}