PHIL SMITH - TAGEBUCH

1. Januaries (Am Anfang)
2. To The Train
3. At Least We Got To Sit On The Ground
4. Made / Found (For C)
5. Imperfect / Conditional
6. Januaries (Am Fenster)
7. She Translates
8. Abwaschen
9. Improvisation on our City (for Lyra)
10. Brcke
11. Stoopy
12. Prelude for the Hinterhof (To LG)

A fantastic album from Phil Smith released in 2024, and one that is definitely difficult to shoe horn into a specific genre. This 12 track LP offers up smatterings of various different musical styles, from the lo-fi downtempo smooth beats of 'She Translates' to the (almost choral) haunting melancholic vocals found on 'Imperfect / Conditional' - an album full of surprises and one that's good for the soul. Kit Records again delivering the goods.

Notes from the label - 

We are delighted to present the debut record by pianist, poet and radio producer Phil Smith. Turning his attention away from BBC feature-making and his cult Jazz-Disjunction NTS show, Phil offers us the diaristic, heartfelt and homespun 𝘛𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘣𝘶𝘤𝘩.

𝘛𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘣𝘶𝘤𝘩 is a collection of musical journal entries, spanning Phil's time living in Berlin from 2013—2017. Using sweetly tumbling piano as a jumping-off point, Phil soon flexes his storytelling chops, shifting from scene to scene via voice, folk-jazz arrangements, musique concrète and the occasional techno-synth chugger.

Don't be fooled by 𝘛𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘣𝘶𝘤𝘩's back-of-envelope charm, this is an expertly crafted radio biopic without words; the minutiae of life percolated through layers of accordion, U-Bahn harmonics and beer foam. A talented cast of guests and friends, notably multi-instrumentalist Zac Gvi, adds an unassuming weight and emotional muscle to this deeply personal source material.

Recommended if you like John Carroll Kirby, Penguin Cafe Orchestra or Alabaster DePlume. 

If you like this, why not check out other releases from Kit Records.