Michael Kiwanuka | ||
| Allmusic Biography : With his acoustic blues-folk sound and timeless soulful voice, singer/songwriter Michael Kiwanuka has been favorably compared to Curtis Mayfield, Terry Callier, and Van Morrison. He was born in Muswell Hill, London in 1987, to Ugandan parents who had fled Idi Amins regime in the 70s. He initially developed a love of rock music -- in particular, Radiohead and Nirvana -- and he performed in various cover bands while briefly studying jazz at the Royal Academy of Music and pop music at Westminster University. An outtake of Otis Reddings "(Sittin On) The Dock of the Bay" inspired him to take a more stripped-back approach. After performing as a session musician for former Bill Withers drummer James Gadson and Tinie Tempah producer Labrinth, he played on the capitals live circuit, where he was discovered by the Bees Paul Butler, who invited him to record material at his Isle of Wight studio. After signing to Mumford & Sons Communion label in 2011, he released two EPs, Tell Me a Tale and Im Getting Ready, before supporting Adele on her U.K. tour. He finished third behind Emeli Sandé and Maverick Sabre on the Brits Critics Choice short list. A year later, he followed in the footsteps of Jessie J, Florence + the Machine, and Ellie Goulding when he was announced the winner of the prestigious BBC Sound of 2012 poll, and shortly thereafter released his debut single and album, both titled Home Again. After an extensive tour, Kiwanuka returned to the studio in 2015. Produced in part by Danger Mouse, his more experimental sophomore album, Love & Hate, was released by Polydor in the summer of 2016. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 5 Title: I’m Getting Ready EP Released: 2011-09-18 Tracks: 3 Duration: 08:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 I’m Getting Ready (02:22) 2 I Need You by My Side (02:34) 3 Any Day Will Do Fine (03:37) |
 | Album: 2 of 5 Title: Home Again Released: 2012-03-09 Tracks: 11 Duration: 43:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Tell Me a Tale (04:12) 2 I’m Getting Ready (02:25) 3 I’ll Get Along (03:31) 4 Rest (03:52) 5 Home Again (03:30) 6 Bones (03:52) 7 Always Waiting (04:31) 8 I Won’t Lie (04:06) 9 Any Day Will Do Fine (03:40) 10 Worry Walks Beside Me (05:02) 11 Lasan (04:38) |
| Home Again : Allmusic album Review : An age ago, major labels signed artists knowing it would take three, four, or even five records before she or he matured sufficiently to build a a dedicated audience. Some labels even signed "prestige artists," those who wouldnt necessarily make boatloads of cash, but their presence on ones roster would attract those who would. These days, the expectations for someone to deliver out of the gate are ridiculous. Michael Kiwanuka is the promising British singer/songwriter who won the BBC Sound of 2012 poll. Home Again is his full-length debut. From the front cover you can see -- then hear -- how everything about this album and Kiwanukas image is laser-focused on the retro pop and soul vibe that saturates his countrys music scene. The Bees Paul Butler produced all but one track here. A throwback approach is his signature and, considering what Polydor wanted, may actually seem warranted given Kiwanukas wise-beyond-his-years singing voice and songwriting style. There are very bright moments in this mesh of organic sounds (that are occasionally embellished -- very slightly -- by Moogs). Kiwanuka and Butler play an astonishing array of instruments here, and are ably assisted by select session players elsewhere. Standouts include the opening "Tell Me a Tale," the sets strongest cut. Kiwanukas voice resembles Terry Calliers closely enough to warrant Butler virtually aping Charles Stepneys production style. "Bones," with its combination of doo wop backing chorus, brushed hi-hats, and jazzy guitar vamp, finds Kiwanuka in fine yet contrasting world-weary voice. The blues in "Worry Walks Beside Me" are underscored by a shimmering B-3 just behind a hazy electric guitar and stacked backing vocals. The title track commences with a fingerpicked acoustic guitar, but a Rhodes piano, multi-tracked cellos, and even a doubling of Kiwanukas vocal brings us into contemporary indie terrain. But there are problems. Butlers attempt at making a record sound vintage paints by the numbers so carefully that he never gets below a songs surface -- despite the emotional intensity in Kiwanukas voice. Also, while Kiwanuka is extremely talented, his songwriting needs work; some tunes are weighed down by clunky melodic or clumsy lyric turns. Despite difficulties, Home Again is a promising debut by an artist who will no doubt deliver big if developed properly. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 5 Title: Love & Hate Released: 2016-07-15 Tracks: 10 Duration: 54:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Cold Little Heart (09:57) 2 Black Man in a White World (04:18) 3 Falling (04:16) 4 Place I Belong (04:47) 5 Love & Hate (07:07) 6 One More Night (03:53) 7 I’ll Never Love (02:45) 8 Rule the World (05:42) 9 Father’s Child (07:05) 10 The Final Frame (04:59) |
| Love & Hate : Allmusic album Review : On his ambitious sophomore set, London native Michael Kiwanuka expands outward from the warm retro-soul of 2012 debut, Home Again. With its trio of producers and transatlantic recording locales, Love & Hate arrives with the weight of high expectations. Announcing his intentions from the start, Kiwanuka challenges listeners with "Cold Little Heart," an exquisitely arranged, ten-minute opus of lush strings and elegant backing vocals whose first line doesnt arrive until the halfway point. Its a Homeric bit of heartbroken prog-soul that shows off its creators lead guitar chops as much as his rich, sandy voice. Co-produced by Danger Mouse and Inflo, it also introduces the heavy tonal palette that runs through the remainder of the albums ten tracks, even those produced by Kiwanukas longtime collaborator, Paul Butler. Where Home Again was ultimately an intimate and gentler affair, Love & Hate puts some distance between singer and audience as he offers his worldweary introspections against the framework of 70s R&B;, funk, and spaced-out rock. The timely social commentary of lead single "Black Man in a White World" feels lonesome and heavy in spite of its uptempo, hand-clapped rhythm and nimble guitar groove. Throughout the album, the space between parts is somehow wider, yet each tambourine hit, backing vocal, or funky guitar lick feels darker and more severe. The mildly psychedelic title cut is a mid-album standout whose slow-burning swagger and epic seven-minute length is countered by the tight, punchy "One More Night." Overall, Love & Hate has very little of the breezy, quietly strummed charm of its predecessor, but it represents serious growth from an artist deliberately pushing his boundaries. With this release, Kiwanuka has delivered a dark, graceful, and affecting artistic statement that is worth the patience it takes to experience it. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 5 Title: Out Loud! (RSD 2018 / Live) Released: 2018-04-23 Tracks: 6 Duration: 52:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Cold Little Heart (Live) (10:42) 2 One More Night (Live) (04:24) 3 Black Man In a White World (Live) (09:08) 4 Tell Me a Tale (Live) (09:03) 5 Fathers Child (Live) (10:59) 6 Love and Hate (Live) (08:33) |
 | Album: 5 of 5 Title: Out Loud! Released: 2018-04-25 Tracks: 5 Duration: 00:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Black Man in a White World (live From the Royal Albert Hall) (?) 2 One More Night (live From the London Palladium) (?) 3 Tell Me a Tale (live From the Birmingham Symphony Hall) (?) 4 Fathers Child (live From the Royal Albert Hall) (?) 5 Love and Hate (live From the Royal Albert Hall) (?) |