MMYYKK’s cosmic funk aims for the stars in The Midst of Things

Striking somewhere between the romantic and the politically active. From Steve Lacy’s TikTok hit “Bad Habit” topping the charts, to Jill Scott continuing to sell out shows, those digital-analogue grooves and that conscious attitude still hold sway.

Cut from that same cloth comes Mychal Fisher AKA MMYYKK. With a few EPs under his belt, including the terrific Science, he’s been quietly riding the waves of this latest neo-soul moment. His debut The Midst of Things is his attempt to position himself as its new cosmic funk king. But, while he takes aim at the stars, he never quite reaches it by not quite bringing anything new to the table.

MMYYKK certainly channels the ease and power of contemporaries and icons like Anderson .Paak and D’Angelo. He makes even the most complex rhythms seem second nature. “U Got Me”, a stunning ode to falling deeply in love, blooms with gloriously glitchy harmonies and a hypnotic beat. Opener “The Midst Of Things” lollops the record into view with a treacly bassline, while the entirely instrumental, lo-fi “Get Free” closes things out with a beautifully glistening finish.

It’s all joy-inducing, groovy tributes to finding the light amidst the darkness. But, with a whole universe to explore, MMYYKK settles in the familiar and rarely lets his own character shine. There are shades of D’Angelo’s honeyed swagger, Thundercat’s mesmeric rhythms, and Herbie Hancock’s funky experimentation all over this record. And MMYYKK focuses their energies into a taut, groovy record. But, where Science felt urgent and full of personality, it’s hard to find MMYYKK in The Midst of Things