Written in the shadow of both the pandemic and the murder of George Floyd, The Midst of Things translates complex ideas into captivating and welcome takes on occasionally inaccessible genres. Finding solace in soul and self-reflection, MMYYKK uses his burgeoning sound as therapy to benefit both the community and himself.
The title track sets an irresistible groove against a mesmerising falsetto, while concisely picking apart the 2020 racial reckoning of MMYYKK’s hometown Minneapolis, the response and its lasting effects. Lyrically, he masterfully bridges the personal and universal without losing its impact in either circle. Elsewhere, late album groove ‘Sheesh’ smuggles challenging rhythms and rich verses under a gauzy disguise of tightly-knit hooks and a killer feature from Ricki Monique.
The album takes a loose lap of space jazz, rap and neo-soul, and while it doesn’t necessarily lean into its creator’s lyrical depths and musical talents as movingly or efficiently across all of its ten tracks, it still pulls out enough textural flourishes and pop nous to keep a casual listener onboard until the translucent hypnotism of brilliant closer ‘Get Free’.
MMYYKK’s talent effortlessly bridges the gap between himself and the wider world – he’s laying the foundations for something quite exciting.
