MillionYoung - Be So True EP

Florida's Mike Diaz, who now answers to the adequately hip pseudonym MillionYoung, has done his homework. On his latest EP, Be So True, Diaz reveals what seems like reverence for chillwave's pioneers and uses the five tracks to respectfully pay homage; from Toro Y Moi to Memory Tapes, the biggest names in this latest music trend are represented with reminiscent arrangements and suggestive synth-pop textures. And while exploiting this genre, Diaz ultimately proves one thing: chillwave is alive and well.

Although it is becoming increasingly passé and "uncool" to like chillwave or even admit to its validity as a legitimate sub-genre, Be So True reminds listeners what made lo-fi, synth-infused dream-pop so appealing in the first place. In other words, MillionYoung makes it okay to echo other artists. While many claim that those riding the chillwave will soon come to an abrupt stop, Diaz suggests otherwise in his blending of chillwave's most engaging qualities.

But the EP is not wholly derivative, however. In the opener "Cynthia" and later track "Pilfer," for instance, familiar production techniques and hooks are present (i.e., Toro Yo Moi), but his vocals are organic and earnest, qualities rarely found in other chillwave (and often heavily produced) projects. Album highlight "Soft Denial" sounds a lot like Memory Tapes' "Bicycle," but the execution is more direct - more accessible and poppy throughout. Traces of Washed Out's signature blissed-out, "chill" beats color "Mien" heavily, but Diaz is willing to let it evolve and transform, giving life to the track in a way that is sometimes absent from even some of Life of Leisure's finest moments.

The EP ends with "Day We Met," an appropriate closing track that sounds influenced by chillwave in a collective sense - recalling many artists (even Crystal Castles) and their stylistic trademarks. Like the aforementioned tracks, however, Diaz makes it his own. Still, I am perhaps more impressed with the way Be So True urges listeners to admit that chillwave is still relevant, even if it means having to look to and mirror the past.