tofubeats’ has a knack for building songs up, though it isn’t always the musical mode pushed to the forefront. Most of his major-label singles opt for pure pop pleasure with little wait. Yet he’s also skilled at the slow burn, hinted at by numbers such as “What You Got” and “Don’t Stop The Music.” But now “River” can be his calling card on that front. It teases piano balladry, but gradually tofubeats lets other elements come in, from filtered syllables rippling over the song to more percussion. And then it bubbles over to a sweet and skippy final section, one that makes the emotional build present earlier really hit. Listen above.
