What Kinda Music
Studio album by
Tom Misch and Yussef Dayes
Released24 April 2020 (2020-04-24)
Length45:03
LabelBeyond the Groove, Blue Note Records, Caroline
Tom Misch chronology
Geography
(2018)		 What Kinda Music
(2020)		 Quarantine Sessions
(2021)
Yussef Dayes chronology
Black Focus
(2016)		 What Kinda Music
(2020)		 Black Classical Music
(2023)
Singles from What Kinda Music
  1. "What Kinda Music"
    Released: 12 February 2020
  2. "Lift Off"
    Released: 11 March 2020
  3. "Kyiv"
    Released: 25 March 2020
  4. "Nightrider"
    Released: 16 April 2020

What Kinda Music is a collaborative studio album by English guitarist and singer Tom Misch and English drummer Yussef Dayes. It was released on 24 April 2020 through Misch's label Beyond the Groove, and distributed through Blue Note Records and Caroline.[1] It is Misch's highest-charting album and Dayes' first appearance in the charts, peaking at number four in the United Kingdom.[2]

Background and release

Both members of South London's contemporary jazz scene, Misch and Dayes met at the launch party for Misch's 2018 album Geography. Misch had been a fan of Dayes' work in his former duo Yussef Kamaal. Misch and Dayes recorded What Kinda Music in a series of jam sessions, some of which were fully improvised.[3]

Misch and Dayes shot a series of music videos for the album in Kyiv, Ukraine. During this shoot, alongside bassist Rocco Palladino, they recorded an impromptu jam session on a spare roll of tape that became the track "Kyiv," named after the city where it was improvised.[3] On YouTube, they released music videos for "Kyiv,"[4] "Lift Off,"[5] the title track "What Kinda Music,"[6] and "Nightrider," which features a rap verse from Freddie Gibbs.[7]

In July 2020, Misch and Dayes released a virtual concert for NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts series, on which they performed "Nightrider" and "Tidal Wave" from the album. The concert also features guest singers Jordan Rakei and Joel Culpepper, bassists Rocco Palladino and Tom Driessler, and guitarist John Mayer.[8][9]

On 2 October 2020, Misch and Dayes released an EP titled What Kinda Music (Bonus Tracks), containing four previously unreleased tracks from What Kinda Music recording sessions.[10][11]

Composition

As the title suggests, What Kinda Music is difficult to classify into a genre, blurring the lines of acid jazz, psychedelia, hip hop, and electronica.[3][12][13] It blends the contrasting styles of Misch, known for his polished R&B and neo soul melodies[3][14] and Instagram-trendy guitar tone,[13] with Dayes, a jazz drummer with more experimental leanings.[12][15]

The album's style has been described by critics as "cosmic" and "dreamy" due to its heavy use of reverb.[12][16] Its production, spearheaded by Misch, is warm and saturated, with Dayes' drums emphasized in the mix.[12] The album's final track "Storm Before the Calm" is the only track with a saxophone, featuring saxophonist Kaidi Akinnibi.[17]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic71/100[18]
Review scores
SourceRating
The Arts Desk[19]
Clash9/10[20]
Financial Times[21]
The Line of Best Fit8.5/10[13]
NME[12]
Pitchfork6.9/10[16]
Q[22]

What Kinda Music was met with positive reviews. At Metacritic, the album received an aggregate score of 71 based on 6 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews."[18]

Writing for Pitchfork, reviewer Jemima Skala called the album "an expansive and fruitful collaboration" between Misch and Dayes "that brings out the best in each other."[16] In a positive review for The Line of Best Fit, reviewer Joseph Blais praised the album's production and innovative mix of styles, calling it "a warm, vibe-y album for hype beasts and chops aficionados alike."[13] Writing for Clash, contributor Kofi Yeboah-Mensah called the album "an incredible collaboration," noting its "highly effective combination of lead bass and drums."[20] Charlotte Krol of NME called the album "a smooth, intuitive coagulation of sounds spanning acid jazz, hip-hop and electronica," complimenting the artists' musicianship and synergy, but also calling it at times "disengaging" and "probably more fun to make than it is to hear."[12]

Track listing

What Kinda Music track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."What Kinda Music"
3:50
2."Festival"
4:42
3."Nightrider" (featuring Freddie Gibbs)
  • Misch
  • Dayes
  • Gibbs
  • Miles James
  • Jordan Rakei
  • Syed Adam Jaffrey
  • Tom Driessler
5:00
4."Tidal Wave"
  • Misch
  • Dayes
  • White
  • Rocco Palladino
4:09
5."Sensational"
  • Misch
  • Dayes
  • Palladino
1:24
6."The Real"
2:41
7."Lift Off" (featuring Rocco Palladino)
  • Misch
  • Dayes
  • Palladino
5:18
8."I Did It for You"
  • Misch
  • Dayes
4:01
9."Last 100"
  • Misch
  • Dayes
  • White
4:00
10."Kyiv"
  • Misch
  • Dayes
  • Palladino
3:30
11."Julie Mangos"
  • Misch
  • Dayes
  • Palladino
  • Driessler
3:17
12."Storm Before the Calm" (featuring Kaidi Akinnibi)
  • Misch
  • Dayes
  • Akinnibi
3:05
Total length:45:03
What Kinda Music (Bonus Tracks) EP[23]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Can You Feel It"
  • Misch
  • Dayes
  • Palladino
3:09
2."Saddle"
  • Misch
  • Dayes
  • Palladino
2:28
3."Tidal Wave (Outro)"
  • Misch
  • Dayes
  • Palladino
1:44
4."Seagulls"
  • Misch
  • Dayes
  • Palladino
1:30
Total length:8:55

Notes

Charts

Chart performance for What Kinda Music
Chart (2020) Peak
position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[24] 68
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[25] 25
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[26] 128
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[27] 57
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[28] 17
Irish Albums (OCC)[29] 40
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[30] 40
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[31] 19
Scottish Albums (OCC)[32] 7
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[33] 20
UK Albums (OCC)[34] 4

References

  1. ↑ "Yussef Dayes, Tom Misch - What Kinda Music Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  2. ↑ Sexton, Paul (May 1, 2020). "Tom Misch & Yussef Dayes Hit UK Top Five With 'What Kinda Music'". uDiscover Music. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Simon, Scott (April 25, 2020). "Tom Misch On Making 'What Kinda Music' And Seeing Yussef Dayes At A Talent Show". NPR. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  4. ↑ Misch, Tom (March 25, 2020). "Tom Misch & Yussef Dayes - Kyiv (feat. Rocco Palladino) [Live]". YouTube. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  5. ↑ Misch, Tom (March 11, 2020). "Tom Misch & Yussef Dayes - Lift Off (feat. Rocco Palladino) - [Live]". YouTube. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  6. ↑ Misch, Tom (February 12, 2020). "Tom Misch & Yussef Dayes - What Kinda Music (Official Video)". YouTube. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  7. ↑ Misch, Tom (April 16, 2020). "Tom Misch & Yussef Dayes - Nightrider (feat. Freddie Gibbs) [Official Video]". YouTube. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  8. ↑ Lim, Eddy (July 15, 2020). "Watch John Mayer guest on Tom Misch and Yussef Dayes's NPR Tiny Desk concert from home". NME. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  9. ↑ O'Neill, Abby (July 13, 2020). "Tom Misch And Yussef Dayes: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert". NPR. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  10. ↑ Caraan, Sophie (October 5, 2020). "Tom Misch and Yussef Dayes Drop 'What Kinda Music (Bonus Tracks)' EP". Hypebeast. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  11. ↑ Miller, Austin (October 2, 2020). "Tom Misch & Yussef Dayes Release 4 New Songs Together". This Song Is Sick. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Krol, Charlotte (April 23, 2020). "Tom Misch and Yussef Dayes – 'What Kinda Music' review: probably more fun to make than it is to hear". NME. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  13. 1 2 3 4 Blais, Joseph (April 24, 2020). "Two of the UK's modern jazz heavyweights team up for a wonderfully contrasted pairing". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  14. ↑ Miller, Austin (April 24, 2020). "Tom Misch & Yussef Dayes Release Stunning Explorative Album, 'What Kinda Music'". This Song Is Sick. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  15. ↑ Middleton, Ryan (February 13, 2020). "Tom Misch, Yussef Dayes Announce Joint-Album 'What Kinda Music'". Magnetic Magazine. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  16. 1 2 3 Skala, Jemima (April 28, 2020). "Tom Misch / Yussef Dayes: What Kinda Music". Pitchfork. Condé Nast. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  17. ↑ Phillips, Aimee (April 24, 2020). "Tom Misch and Yussef Dayes - What Kinda Music". EUPHORIA. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  18. 1 2 "What Kinda Music by Tom Misch Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  19. ↑ Quinn, Peter. "South-east Londoners provide the feel-good hormones on Blue Note collab". The Arts Desk. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  20. 1 2 Yeboah-Mensah, Kofi (April 23, 2020). "Tom Misch & Yussef Dayes - What Kinda Music". Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews. Clash Magazine. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  21. ↑ Ludovic, Hunter-Tilney. "Tom Misch and Yussef Dayes: What Kinda Music — a talented but mismatched pair". Financial Times. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  22. ↑ "Review: What Kinda Music". Q. June 2020. p. 102.
  23. ↑ "What Kinda Music - Yussef Dayes, Tom Misch". AllMusic. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  24. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Tom Misch & Yussef Dayes – What Kinda Music" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  25. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Tom Misch & Yussef Dayes – What Kinda Music" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  26. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Tom Misch & Yussef Dayes – What Kinda Music" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  27. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Tom Misch & Yussef Dayes – What Kinda Music" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  28. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Tom Misch & Yussef Dayes – What Kinda Music" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  29. ↑ "Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  30. ↑ "Charts.nz – Tom Misch & Yussef Dayes – What Kinda Music". Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  31. ↑ "Portuguesecharts.com – Tom Misch & Yussef Dayes – What Kinda Music". Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  32. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  33. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Tom Misch & Yussef Dayes – What Kinda Music". Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  34. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
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