Mindfields

Mindfields is a work on which TOTO used its high playing skill not to show off but to carefully set the songs’ atmosphere. Supple rhythm, colorful keyboards and choruses layering several voices create an urbane yet warm sound. With original vocalist Bobby Kimball back, the band regains its old brilliance. On “Cruel,” “Mysterious Ways,” “Mindfields” and “Melanie,” soul, pop and rock senses meet naturally, and a composed groove drifts through every song. Songs like “Mad About You” and “After You've Gone” breathe a refined melodic sense too. Refined yet never losing a human warmth, it is a full record for fully savoring the appeal of a TOTO-style band album, with the matured members’ playing harmonizing pleasantly throughout.