The first thing I thought when I listened to this song was, “How did Toledo create a sound like Beck, a flair like Tame Impala and a retro feel like the 1975?”
And that’s what I love about this song — it’s a combination of so many elements. The band generally specializes in synth heavy, dreamy music, which I can never get enough of, but the laid back atmosphere of this song sets it apart from many comparable jams. The retro aspect was felt throughout. I cannot describe exactly what gives me the feeling, and I’m actually happy about that because I found myself going back to relisten again and again. Beautiful chords, soft but crisp synths and an emotional vocal style almost forced me to throw this track into my personal playlists.
The track doesn’t feature excessive synth or spaciness, but, instead, they focused more on the soft indie rock aspects of the track. Little minute details give the song extra layers and push the listening experience. There are some songs that really should be listened to with headphones to pick up everything that is going on, and this is definitely one of those songs.
Before we go any further, I’d like to shine a little more light on Toledo. They’re an indie rock duo out of Newburyport, Massachusetts, orchestrated by Daniel Alvarez and Jordan Dunn-Pilz. They dropped their first EP, Hot Stuff, in 2019 and a second, Jockeys of Love, in 2021. During fall 2022, they finally released their first full length album, How it Ends. Now, they’re back with “Jesus Bathroom,” a single signifying an evolution in sound and much more refinement in production.
While I couldn’t get enough of the instrumental aspect of the song, the lyrics are important in telling a story. With a name like “Jesus Bathroom,” you can expect there to be quite the meaning behind the song.
“Rats in the cabinet, /
Ants on the counter, /
God in the bathroom, /
Snakes in the rafter, /
Fish on the ceilin’ /
Felt my palms bleedin’ /
Flies in the attic.”
It’s clear that there’s a lot going on here. With the feeling of being attacked on all sides and the contrast of good and evil, the lyrics bombard you with images. The lyrics continue in this fashion, finding that a ton of things are wrong, but they’re at least getting by. This is definitely something we have all experienced, and with midterms rolling in, I feel this.
I was surprised by this song. Everything about it was much more interesting than I had expected, and I was glad to rediscover Toledo. Their musical evolution is something I am happy to watch unfold, and I am excited to see what they bless us with next.
Give the band a listen, and, maybe, you’ll find your own Jesus Bathroom.
