For his latest track, ‘Red Moon’, however, Misch brings back that soulful and jazzy sound. Booming reverberated drums are joined by Misch’s laid-back and soft guitar. A squelchy, funky electric guitar also joins the mix, its unique sound becoming an attention-grabbing force as it moves into a groovy solo towards the end of the track.
Other strong musical elements enter throughout the track, like a small group of backing vocals that close out the track and subtle shakers that accompany the tight percussion from the first chorus onwards. ‘Red Moon’ might be seeing Misch walking through already explored territory musically, but if anything, it’s still a well-constructed and great track, a reminder that Misch can still write these funky and soulful tunes with ease.
Lyrically, ‘Red Moon’ is a plea from Misch to some higher power to help him win a girl back. It’s not the most unique concept, but the imagery of the red moon combined with the stripped-back and relaxed production is certainly an interesting one. “Can you change her heart / Can you change her mind” he sings on the hook, “Can you change the stars / Can you make it right / I know that I need her”. It’s compelling to hear Misch call for some cosmic force to shift the structure of the solar system just to hold onto this woman, making the track a fascinating meditation on the fear of losing a love and being alone.
Much like ‘Old Man’ earlier in the year, ‘Red Moon’ is a fascinating lyrical and thematic work from Tom Misch. Despite, and maybe even because, it adheres to the sound and style that he has come to be known for, this track is a perfect point of accessibility in exploring who Misch really is as a songwriter, and it happens to be a highly enjoyable listen at the same time.
