Tolliver - “Too Much”

SXSW 2020 - OEB Score: 8; Popularity Index: 6

Pairs Well With…Cautious Clay, D’Angelo, Omar Apollo

Electronic R&B artist Tolliver has established an ultra-smooth presence since his debut EP Rites and 2019 singles “Too Much” and “Keep It Wet”, sharing a mix of introspective, spaced out tracks and funkier numbers like “Picture of You” and psychedelic hip hop track “Twisted”. Tolliver’s voice is a mix of 90s-era moving melodies and bedroom-pop dreaminess, a powerful instrument that is smartly held back in more contemplative moments like the haunting calling “Emmanuel”. Look out especially for Tolliver’s full and impressive falsetto - even though he sounds strong across his wide-ranged vocals, these moments cross the rubicon into an emotional sonic plane. Reflective comedown “Too Much” builds with thick saxophone lines to give the track a jazzy spin, a subtle epic as the song naturally grows with electronic layers. Tolliver’s balance of ghostly air and pop-oriented grooves is where the Los Angeles artist succeeds the most and it’s a space that he continually goes back to on these early tracks. He has an experimenter’s heart and a songwriter’s brain, so lookout for whatever is next in 2020 for this intriguing young artist. (Kevin McStravick)