Easy Toog for Beginners

The title of Toog's second record may lead you to believe that this is a simple course in his offbeat melodies, but you'd likely have to sit down with him for days to understand his methods. Here he abandons traditional song structure, takes advantage of whimsical synth, and uses minimal percussion. While vocals on his debut were sung in French, Easy Toog for Beginners grants equal time to French and English. It makes the album a little more accessible for non-French speakers, but Toog is still idiosyncratic with his half-sung poetry and peculiar arrangements. Aside from his romantic voice, the keyboard sounds grab the most attention with odd string sounds, pipe organ, and piano, often within the same song. If Toog is trying to teach listeners something here, it's that French pop still begs to be explored.