Tom Misch and Yussef Dayes – ‘What Kinda Music’ review: probably more fun to make than it is to hear

Misch, who released his solid, sun-kissed electro-soul debut ‘Geography’ in 2018, is a melody head with pop proclivities. Dayes, who hails from UK jazz group United Vibrations, is a drummer with more experimental leanings. They have history: now 24, south London’s Misch watched Dayes play drums in a school talent show when he was a kid. They reunited at the launch party for Misch’s debut, a meeting that proved the catalyst for this collaboration.

Their debut album ‘What Kinda Music’ is a smooth, intuitive coagulation of sounds spanning acid jazz, hip-hop and electronica, soldered with cosmic touches (Misch provides lead production).

‘What Kinda Music’ doesn’t have much to say about the world: Misch’s lyrics largely offer platitudes about love and nostalgia. But while this album lacks bold statements, it makes up for their absence with musicianship and mood. Instrumental centrepiece ‘Sentimental’ is all psychedelic wah-wah pedal solos and chugging grooves that morph into precise, broken beats. A mesmeric, proggy wig-out, it could easily wind up on an indie film caper.

A similar ambience imbues ‘Nightrider’, a lithe lounge track that features rapper Freddie Gibbs. In contrast to the album’s typically lightweight subject matter, the track sees the trio explore late-night drug deals, consumerism and racial stereotyping. “Every whip I whip’s either German-made or Italian / Super dope, my geekers smoke media, Robert Townsend,” Gibbs raps, name-checking the black film pioneer who in the 1987 film Hollywood Shuffle satirised the crooked playing field faced by black actors.

At the album’s dreamier, catchier end, we have ‘Tidal Wave’, ‘Festival’ and the record’s title track. Here Misch uses more traditional verse-chorus structures and, sometimes – as with the lovesick ‘Tidal Wave’ – Dayes’ drums sit higher in the mix, allowing his percussive solos to take the centre stage. These accomplished funk arrangements might sound great, but they dial down engagement; at times you feel like you’re observing a giant jam session.

There’s no doubting the musicianship on display across ‘What Kinda Music’ – Misch and Dayes certainly complement one another. But it’s hard not to long for a little disruption to the album’s soothing sonic cohesion. While they were clearly having fun, it was probably more fun to make than it is to hear.

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