Firm favourite and full-time member of the ever-growing South London Jazz Scene, Laura Misch is back with not just one track, but a whole mini album ahead of her just-announced tour with fellow jazz club member Alfa Mist. ‘Lonely Mist’ is a masterpiece, albeit a short one. Whilst known for her similarly talented brother Tom Misch, having supported and collaborated with him in the past, the seven-track project highlights her as an artist in her own right. Featuring Laura’s dazzling vocals and incredible saxophone solos, the project has also been produced by her, making it a labour of love, blood sweat, and most probably a few tears. Moving away from the jazzy style that seems to have rooted itself in South London, it’s more electronic than her previous work.
We delve into the project first with “OoOoOoO”, a chilled out, electronic track which showcases her ability to harmonize. We don’t hear her voice again until “Night Drive”, where she takes us down a musical rabbit hole until we emerge in a track written to be part documentary and part surreal. The lyrics are in concrete contrast to the experimental production, which features embedded city sounds and phone recordings, built to connote not only driving at night but also the sounds of London, which can indeed be a lonely place.
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It’s “Walk Alone to Hear Thoughts of Your Own” where Laura’s talents really shine, however. Mixing jazz textures, emphasised by the saxophone with city sounds and a sentimental title are the holy trinity. The multitude of layers makes it a powerful track, potentially the most impactful on the project. It’s these dreamlike jazz vibes that fans can expect to enjoy when two powerhouses of the movement get together on tour.
From the 13th May, Laura Misch and Alfa Mist, pianist, producer and jazz musician, will begin their tour at the Village Underground, ending on the 18th in Leeds. Knowing the collection of artists that seem to be grouping together, it wouldn’t be a surprise if some familiar faces weren’t also involved in making their stage a truly special place. But only time will tell. In the meantime, Lonely City is available to stream on all platforms, and I suggest you do.