TOM MISCH & YUSSEF DAYES - What Kinda Music 2xLP

Label: Beyond The Groove

As a pair, Dayes and Misch bring out the best in each other. Where Geography was almost too clean, What Kinda Music is muddied with depth and darkness from Dayes’ rhythms, offsetting Misch’s pitch-perfect vocals. This is particularly true on “Tidal Wave,” where Dayes’ drum rolls and hollow wooden taps provide a counterpoint to Misch’s layered vocals. The mutual respect between the pair is tangible: From Misch’s admiring lyrics in “Nightrider” (“Mr. Dayes with the break of the drums/It’s icy cold”) to the tight interplay between the separate drum and guitar improvisations in “Kyiv,” the album bears both their signature imprints.

What Kinda Music also feels indebted to the collaborative nature of the South London jazz scene, as does the presence of saxophonist Kaidi Akinnibi and Dayes’ previous collaborator, bassist Rocco Palladino, as features on “Storm Before the Calm” and “Lift Off.”