Tora - A Force Majeure (2021)

The year 2019 was marked by one of our biggest musical crushes of this year, namely the album Can’t Buy The Mood. It was signed by the Australian group Tora who had the merit of standing out from the scene with their mix of trip-hop and electronic soul so enticing. And this merger can still be found on its long-awaited successor, À Force Majeure.

With these eleven new compositions, the Byron Bay quartet digs into the groove of their music which is full of emotions of all kinds. We embark with an "In Deeper" highlighting the touching interpretation of Joe Loewenthal who flies over the cottony and inventive arrangements from the start. À Force Majeure will know how to compromise between unbridled chillwave and mutant neo-soul on adventurous tracks such as “Call On Me” with effervescent synths or even the boiling “Inundated” and “Put Down Your Phone” expanding the musical palette of the group.

Tora will not hesitate to invite a few female voices to support Joe Loewenthal's words that encourage us to let go when the time comes. One thinks in particular of Angie Hudson who intervenes on “Fire Apartment” and of Asha Franco who closes the ceremony with “Metanoia” where the emotional baggage remains as impregnated as ever. Besides that, the Byron Bay quartet remains on its achievements with the harmonious "When Will I Learn" or "How Long" before bringing a wave of melancholy on the title track where Joe Loewenthal presents his questioning. and his doubts about his life choices.

With A Force Majeure, Tora confirms on the current electro-soul scene with an emotional packaging and a much broader musical palette. An incredible tour de force for the Australian quartet now residing in Amsterdam.

Aussie four-piece Tora relocated to Amsterdam ahead of recording their third album, but plans to tour and travel were halted by the pandemic, leaving them with little else but plenty of studio time to focus on the tender A Force Majeure. Opening track “In Deeper” draws you into the world of the album one layer at a time, evoking a sentimental atmosphere with its enveloping blend of electronic beats and effects with piano, vocals, and flute. “We’re in the quicksand, gripping to vices/We could understand, but we’re all divided,” Jo Loewenthal sings, setting the existential, reflective tone for the album. “Why Won’t You Wait” follows, a soft, bare reflection on the fear and challenges associated with long-distance relationships.

Electronic rhythms may sew this record together, but its most impactful moments come from the soulful, R&B-influenced vocal-focused tracks. Byron Bay singer Angie Hudson guests on “Fire Apartment,” her captivating voice drawing attention through its delicacy. It’s the first of three vocal collabs—Molly Nicholson and Asha Franco feature on “How Long” and final track “Metanoia,” respectively, their vocals adding a mesmerizing tone to each track’s already immersive sound. “Put Down Your Phone” sees Loewenthal asking a partner to focus on the important things. Over an understated, bouncy rhythm, he sings: “Put down your phone for a second so I can have your attention/Put down your phone for one minute so we can have a conversation/I don’t wanna be another mistake that you make when you are running off in another state of mind.”