Tourist - U

Tourist
U
2016
Spotify

The producer has been the beacon of creativity coming out of London in the recent years. With trailblazers like Jamie xx, Four Tet and Hudson Mohawk the path was clear when Tourist decided to release this his debut LP. One of the interesting things about that list is that each one of them have a sound that is totally their own, and make a place for their music even if there was not one there before. This kind of music can go big and bold blowing audiences away or really drill down into the intricacies of life and explore them in a really new way. Tourist has been poping around on remixes and collaborations for awhile but this is his first full release in earnest and it's totally worth it. U in a strange and ambitious offering is billed as a concept album following the beginnings of a relationship until it's eventual demise. For an album without technical lyrics it is a bold move, and one that pays off greatly in terms of the music, but the concept does not really have the teeth that you would expect. that however does not matter, because this record is simply good. Tourist pulls from different genres and sounds to create soundcapes that are both engaging and passive enough to really dance to if that's your pleasure. 'Run" is an example of this, where at one moment you are expecting something a bit dour but then Tourist drops the house movement on you and you are right in. This happens a few times throughout the record where you assume you aren't going to be engaged in that exciting dancey way, but then he turns it around and brings you right back in. Really great stuff.

Tourist much like The Range did with Potential is able to take one sample and just build it out and out until it it something really exciting and new. However at times this same strength can make songs feel like they are staying on one movement for to long and by the time a song ends you are move than ready for a change. Another highlight however is "Waves". Beginning with the sound of waves slopping against some kind of barrier the songs builds and worms it's way into this twitchy and bright. The song never stops adding layers just taking you deeper and deeper into the track that Tourist wants to create. If there is anything missing from the record perhaps it can sound a bit one note and pull from the same variety of samples, but when it's this good who really gives a fuck? "Too Late" is one of those songs that feels like it takes a bit too long (no pun intended) to get moving, but the place it eventually finishes is just great. Tourist is clearly a producer doing it at a very high level and if U is any indication on where things are headed we are in for quite the treat. Go check out U, You certainly won't regret it.

8.1 out of 10