By Mina Wiebe

Oddly enough, this funky tune pulls you in with bongos—yes, bongos—before layering the beats with basslines. I was unsure how to feel at first, mainly because I was confused; it felt like a hippie drum circle had been interrupted by some groovy, 70’s disco band. But within seconds the rhythms became cohesive, and suddenly the two instruments thrived off one another.

The song is a toe-tapper at the very least, and I wouldn’t put it past listeners to want to dance to this bubbly tune. But labeling it as a mere “dance-song” doesn’t quite feel complete. The bounciness of the bass paired with the smooth and cool vocals of Chaz Bear (also known by his stage name Toro y Moi) creates this strange yet fascinating strain that is simultaneously upbeat and laid-back.

Sure, it’s a song you can dance to (my mind immediately imagines John Travolta in “Saturday Night Fever” doing his disco finger dance—you know the one I’m talking about) but it’s also a song I’d be content to listen to on a road trip or a casual hangout with friends over drinks.

The seemingly effortlessness behind Bear’s satiny voice makes you listen to the lyrics. The repetitive “Maximize all the pleasure, even with all this weather/ Nothing can make it better” initially confirms the idea that it’s strictly a dance-song; the singer himself is telling you to maximize your pleasure, and as the perky bass plays you can’t help but take pleasure in dancing along.

But as Bear’s smooth voice continues to earn your attention, the singer delves into some deeper topics when he examines a contemporary world that is too loud and “[m]akes it hard for [him] to feel what [he’s] thinking”. When you actually listen to the lyrics, you almost question if you should be dancing to it.

I can’t tell if Bear is telling us to ignore dark feelings by maximizing our pleasure, or if he believes the two simply coexist as a part of our reality. Regardless, the track seems to embrace a disenchanted world with an optimism relayed through disco.