STAR STUFF

After making a concerted venture into more guitar-based rock with 2015's What For?, Chaz Bundick sheds his Toro y Moi moniker on this spacy, psychedelic collaboration with brother duo the Mattson 2. Appropriately billed as Chaz Bundick Meets the Mattson 2, Star Stuff is a true collaboration with a jammy, jazzy live feel that is heavy on retro sounds, effects, and vibes. Twin brothers Jared (guitar) and Jonathan (drums) Mattson lend their substantial chops to what is a predominantly instrumental affair, stretching out nimbly over the first two longform tracks, which together total about 11 minutes. Bundick largely covers the various keyboard elements while splitting bass duties with Jared. Fender Rhodes, acoustic piano, and heavily treated autoharp meld with the Mattsons' easy grooves with Bundick making his first vocal appearance, singing wordlessly throughout the chilled funk of "A Search." While much of Star Stuff does feel rooted in improvisation and live performance, Bundick still asserts himself both as a producer and songwriter, especially on more composed pop-oriented tracks like the the groovy, laid-back "JBS" and the excellent title cut, both of which feature his vocal and lyrical contributions. While most of the record is credited to the trio as a whole, a few instrumental tracks like the slinky "Steve Pink" and the sundazed, crow-sampling space jam "Disco Kid" are attributed to the Mattson 2. Overall, Star Stuff is an enjoyable exercise in semi-constructed jamming and vintage-sounding tones by a trio of skilled musicians, and continues Bundick's evolution toward a more analog texture and approach. ~ Timothy Monger