Debutant singer Miist teams up with seasoned producer Narada Micheal Walden to release her first album, The Songs from the Living Room.

By Graeme Smith

Though only beginning her music career in her mid-30s, Miist is no stranger to success in the music industry already. She’s won multiple awards and charted in the US Top 30 on two occasions. That goes some way to explaining how polished her debut album is. Production from Narada is another reason, but there is also something undefinably drawing about the record.

The nine tracks of The Songs from the Living Room connect on an emotional level, articulating relatable feelings and sentiments against a backdrop of familiar genre styles. Miist draws on the sounds of the ’80s and ’90s to create her soundscape, finishing it with modern pop sensibilities and oodles of charm.

Move Your Body Slowly starts things off with its pumping and personal style. The delicate disco beautifully backs its romantic lyrics. Let the Music Fill You is a Latin-infused dance rock anthem before we are treated to an early album highlight in the form of It’s Too Late To Love You. An intimate duet, it best showcases the expression of Miist’s vocals, paired perfectly with Narada’s.

Miist are simply not confined by genre, and throughout the album, we are left guessing what will come next. Vibrant electronica rubs rhythmic shoulders with sultry dark pop. We have hip-hop interludes, gentle ballads, and euphoric moments. I’m Not Afraid to Dream Again is a powerfully uplifting highlight, while Love Them Away end things with a cinematic flourish.

Something timeless has been captured by this debut album, and I think it’ll find fans among the young and young at heart. I foresee a bright future for Miist. She has all she needs to be big.

The Songs from the Living Room is out now and you can give it a listen below.