If you’re looking for the perfect afternoon revision soundtrack, an upbeat dance track or the backdrop for Sunday lunch with the grandparents, then Tom Misch’s latest album-a mixture of jazz, pop and hip hop- is the perfect fit. Geography, Tom’s most recent release, fits all and any occasion, with his incorporation of various instruments, sounds and voices producing his distinctive sound.
Misch began his music career in his bedroom, uploading his tracks to Soundcloud, and since his humble beginnings in 2012 has obtained over 2 million monthly listeners on Spotify, emphasising the growing hype around his name. His debut album, ‘Beat Tape 2’, was declared “stupidly made” by Misch himself, however, this kick-started his music career (sparking a sell-out debut tour in 2016) and bagged him a huge number of followers. This was the first I had heard of Misch, with his song ‘Colours of Freedom’, and for the past 3 years his new music has been eagerly awaited.
And Geography has not disappointed. His single, ‘Lost in Paris’, sets the standard high for the album. The vocals of Misch himself, combined with the GoldLink rap, the saxophone instrumental and jazz guitar, all consolidate to produce a hip-hop track with a blues undertone and a modern jazz twist. This perfectly expresses Misch’s “multi-instrumentalist” sound, and whilst may seem overwhelming, is perfectly balanced. His other single, ‘It Runs Through Me’, has an air of ‘Just Jack’s newest works ‘Alchemist’ and ‘Winning’, with the addition of a soulful background that produces Misch’s distinctive sound. Switching up from this is his ballad, ‘Movie’, which opens with a monologue by his sister, Polly. The song brings in a romantic tone to the album, whilst his instrumental version of ‘Isn’t She Lovely’ adds his Misch-sound to a Stevie Wonder classic. Each song brings something different to the album.
His success in his music, and in his self-proclaimed “multi-instrumentalist” sound, is in his ability to mix a diverse range of sounds together. His influences-the 80’s disco, the “euphoric 1970’s, house and techno-are made obvious in this album, and make him relatable to so many different genres. Misch can get his listeners to relate, no matter who is listening to his songs, to tracks of another artist, song or genre that is also loved. And so, with this in mind, it’s no surprise that Misch’s most recent UK and US tour has seen many of the venues sold out, even his appearance to our very own Birmingham O2 Academy. The young 22-year-old singer, song-writer, producer and DJ has infected us with his “energy” and “love for music” so that we now cannot escape.
Grace Lea
