If I said the name Torville Jones I’m likely to be greeted by blank stares and shrugs. However, if I said the name Tokio Myers to you, the number of blank stares would likely drop. If you were glued to your TV screens for the latest series of Britain’s Got Talent, you will be well aware that the London pianist was this year’s winner and, judging by the material on his new album “Our Generation”, it’s not difficult to see why.
You see, listening to the pianist smash through a stunning rendition of “Bloodstream”, his debut single, it’s hard to see how a man with such talent could be passed over in favour of dancing dogs or other such novelty acts. “Our Generation” is a mesmerizing album which melds together the gentile beauty of the piano with the big, bombastic sounds of modern synth-pop to create something quite hypnotic. Tracks like “Children” and “Mercy” switch effortlessly between soothing piano passages and pulsing snyth to create something sonically breathtaking. “Angel” on the other hand, sees Myers head down a different route taking the listener on a more emotional journey. “Our Generation” is the sound of a man who epitomises the word “talent” with it pouring from the tips of his fingers as soon as he sits down in front of a piano.
If there is a criticism to be levelled at the material, it is that, while there is no doubting the talent on show, it very quickly becomes easy to work out the direction each track is heading in. “Our Generation” may be a great album but it is one that, as it grows on you, starts to sound very familiar. Having said that, Tokio Myers clear has enough about him to grow into a stunning musician with BGT and “Our Generation” being a mere stepping stone to a massive future.
Rating: 8/10
