On this website I reveiw albums and talk music.
"What Kinda Music" is the new album by the South London Guitarist/Beatmaker Tom Misch, and progressive jazz drummer Yussef Dayes. Firstly, it is safe to say that these two artist are very well suited together, and that the combination of complex drum grooves, minamalist smooth vocals, and Jazz inspired guitar, combine for an extremely enjoyable listen. The entire record is clearly influenced by Jazz, early Hip-hop, funk, and soul.
The record kicks off strong with the title track "What Kinda Music". This track is very funky, but also very soulful and laid-back. It is a the perfect song to kick off the album, and also does a good job to reflect the mood of the rest of the album.
The third song on the album "Nightrider" features american rapper Freddie Gibbs. Because of it's amazing drums, beutiful guitar and decent lyrics, Nightrider is definity one of the strongest songs on the album. Freddie's bars compliment Yussef's drums so well, and it has such a overall chilled vibe. This is an unexpected collaberation, but has worked super well.
The album closes with "Storm before the calm". This song is the perfect way to finish the album, as is feels like the end of something. It features the saxophanist Kaidi Akinnibi, and is probably the most relaxed song on the album.
For me, this is a pretty great album. Even though fans will miss the clean guitar riffs from his First album (Geography), I think this album is definitley a more mature set of songs, and is very nice to listen to. The lyrics aren't overly complex, and it is lots less singable than Geography, but even so, this is Tom's best album yet. I think this album is a strong 8/10.