KIWANUKA

Big ups from the last listen! Never heard before, nostalgic of sly and the family stone with that modern danger mouse production. Gonna need to dig more into his music

Love this album. Genre defying, soulful, atmospheric, edgy at times. Reminds me of a 60’s film soundtrack with the massed voices and strings. Kiwanuka has a great voice. Great.

A good start to the list!

Once again, another gem that i hadn't heard before. Fantastic album with classic R&B/funk sound.

Pretty good, didn't finish

Not usually the kind of stuff I listen to, but an enjoyable listen nevertheless. Favourite tracks: Hero, You Ain't The Problem

Good

Liked this one!

If I could give half stars, this would be 4.5. Enjoying it quite a bit. Still on the mellow side, but easy to groove to.

Interesting

Very good

It’s sounds really good

Nice vibey downtempo album with some modern blues notes

Pretty solid album that incorporates many facets of music. Have to listen all in one sitting for full effect. Definitely intend to listen multiple more times to appreciate

Kiwanuka’s absolutely magnificent Cold little heart (especially the extended version) from his second album was no doubt a tough a act to follow. But he somehow pulls it off on this, his third album. It features heartfelt lyrics, sublime arrangements and production, and also his wonderfully emotional voice is a joy to listen to. His Mercury Prize for this album was totally deserved.

A melodic, well arranged modern rock album produced by Danger Mouse? That's hitting a lot of bullseyes for me! There are definitely parts where this album could trim the fat or be better sequenced, but overall it has a lot of great highlights for me.

I really liked the pacing of this album. The first half is really energized and the second half is a bit more mellow and contemplative. That being said, it was a quick listen; despite being almost an hour long, it flew by. He’s really quite the songwriter. Great hooks throughout the whole thing. There were a few moments where I felt like it dragged on a bit and I was expecting more, like during the end of “I’ve Been Dazed.” Other than that, this was a great listen. Looking forward to 1000 more. Cheers to number one!

baita sonzao, muito agradável

I liked it. It sounds really new.

This was completely unexpected. What a great album. Never heard of it before.

Album blijft niet bij 1 genre, veel variatie

Very smooth and enjoyable listen. Wikipedia classifies this as a "rock album" which is sort of baffling to me. Reminds me a bit of "Awaken, My Love!"

I really enjoyed this. Will listen again. 😁

I really enjoyed the soul stuff on this, a lovely listen

I prefer his debut but this is still pretty good

some new that i liked!!! was neat!!! would like to give it a dedicated listen some time

Thought it was good

Serenity!!! x Favourite track > ‘Solid Ground’

“I’ve Been Dazed” and “Final Days” are bangers.

'You Ain't the Problem' is an awesome opening track setting the tone for this entire genre-defying album. Then you have great tracks like 'Rolling' with a pulsing beat straight from Tame Impala, the beautiful 'Piano Joint (This Kind of Love)', 'Hero' with transcendent strings and a catchy indie-riff, and of course 'Solid Ground'. There is juuuuust a bit too much of filler in the form of interludes and intros for my tastes, but what a statement of a debut album!

3rd times the charm. 1st and 2nd time was great as well.. But it doesn’t make for a great review start. What an awesome record from start till end. The mix is great, Kiwanukas songwriting is it great, his blend of genres is more than great… And there’s a Womack-like quality to his vocal! I’m on the verge of handing this a 5. But I feel like I need the final nudge. Maybe it’s one or two interludes too many that does it? Because overall there isn’t a bad song on this thing. Consider this the biggest possible 4. Best: You Ain’t the Problem / Piano Joint / Hero / Final Days

I liked this one, would listen again! Nice sound, different from what I usually listen to.

smooth easy listening

Well this was a pleasant surprise. I may have to buy it.

Distinctive and original at the same time. I turned it up. Classic and new at the same time. Echoes at times of Gil Scott-Heron, Seal, Marvin Gaye. Lovely vocals, nice arrangements. Overall dreamy/thoughtful tone. Probably deserves more listens.

A really solid album. Would listen to again.

Very enjoyable, some great songwriting. Reminds me a little of Sampha but it is definitely its own thing. I do slightly prefer the more upbeat songs on it

listened to again there's just something about the twang of the guitar licks on these 70s style psychedelic soul albums

This is a really good album. Some excellent songs on here

70’s Africana vibe. I likey.

I really enjoyed it. It’s a quietly powerful record with quality songwriting and production. Has a very cohesive feel while still each song feeling unique enough to be memorable. 7/10

Неплохой альбом. Качает!

eu não esperava que essa album fosse ser tão bom, tem uma puta influencia dos classicos, hero por exemplo é puro jimi hendrix. me soa muito como uma album dos anos 70, sem duvida o melhor ate agora dessa lista.

A while back, I had criticized an album that was released last year. I said that I thought the album had to be around for at least a little bit of time before it's a "must-listen." Well, 2019 must be that amount of time, because holy crap this was not what I was expecting. That first track hit and smoked. The entire album emanated 70s soul, but still sounded modern at the same time. Very impressed by this one. In the low 4's for me.

Really dug this. He brings a new age sound to old style folk/blues/rock. It was like I was listening to CSNY, Bill Withers, Lynyrd Sknyrd, Hendrix, even the Temptations altogether and reimagined. Highlights were Rolling and I've Been Dazed (the former is incredible and how it rolls right into the latter is seamless), Piano Joint (his voice contrasted against the soft instruments is powerful), Hero (funky and near the top of his always good lyrics), . Soulful, well-arranged, great blend of instruments. Restoring my faith in modern eclectic rock. Not quite 5-star as I found a few tracks boring (e.g., the intros, Another Human Being which also felt like an interlude); could've tightened it up a bit.

I don't think I've heard an album unbeholden to genre since the last few Avalanches releases - manages to pay homage to several styles without becoming trapped within them. There could be a bit of a stronger melodic throughline (things do tend to become a tad too amorphous for any sense of strong cohesion), but the songs stand strong on their own and I have no doubt they'll end up in my heavy rotation.

Pretty chill, need to relisten in the future

4 stars. Never heard it and instantly loved it.

A brilliant surprise for me. Vocals that glow. Highlights: You Ain't the Problem, I've Been Dazed, Hero, Final Days.

I have never heard of this artist before today. I am pleasantly enjoying this album and am eager to check out some of their other work. Very easy to listen to and catchy. The lyrics were positive and uplifting.

Solid Album, quality production.

It was fine. Not sure that it had that much of an impact so going for a 2. Not to say I didn't like it though...

I loved it but also have sort of forgotten it already?

Had a couple of listens, really liked the simple reverby guitar throughout- Has some whack aim unalike Vintage Trouble. A good listen

Love the blend of rock, r&b, soul and a really nice Ennio Morricone western vibe. Can’t wait to explore more of Michael Kiwanuka’s music

Love getting something new. I listened to this when it first came out, Joey put me on to Michael Kiwanuka with a previous project. I didn't love it then, but it's really good and has a lot of care put into it, spanning quite a few genres and a lot of ground. I'm enjoying it more this time around, especially a few of the "intro" tracks. I dig it, but it's still a little bit of an oddball choice for recent albums given the sort of things that didn't make this list. Wikipedia confirms that he's an English artist so that explains it. Favorite tracks: You Ain't the Problem, Living In Denial, Hero, both Intro tracks. Album art: Very classic, art style is like a classic Sun Ra jazz album. I like the bold colors and font. 4/5

Nisam ga ponovo slusala al prije 3 godine mi je bio jako dobar

Sasvim lijep, lagan, melankoličan, soulično psihodeličan album u svoju ruku, instrumentalno je osiguran. You Ain't the Problem, Rolling i Hero su vrh pjesme. Fluidan album, pjesme se pretapaju iz jedne u drugu i valja slušat kronološki. Vjerujem da bih se mogao vraćat na ovaj album, eventualno ako ništa drugo, u pozadini da svira, dosta paše.

Auuuuu ovo je jebeno blizu petici, ko wish you were here

A LOT better then I was expecting.

Cool vibe

Consistently interesting and engaging, thanks to the instrumentation and atmospherics. Very distinctive voice, sort of wearied and soulful at the same time. Strong drumming and cool guitar effects on “Rolling.” I love the tone on “Piano Joint,” “Hard to Say Goodbye” and “Final Days.” A masterpiece of mood and vibe and fully deserving of its many accolades. 4.4 for 4.

Really enjoyed this

some new stuff

Excellent psychedelic soul. That comes across very cinematic.

Damn, this album sounds REFRESHING. Lots of different styles. Never heard the name of Kiwanula before, but will definitely follow his work from now on. Favorite tracks: * You Ain't The Problem * Rolling * Another Human Being

I love Michael Kiwanuka, I love this album; recency bias has me asking: is this his most essential release? One of the most essential of 2019? Between the recent picks (which I don’t know if they come from the author of the book or the architect of this site) and the early-90s britpop, techno jazz, and art pop; the subjectivity of this list can be blistering.

Not the album I expected from the cover, but got a couple of tracks I quite liked on there: I've Been Dazed, Living in Denial, Interlude (loving the people) and Solid Ground were all tracks that stood out for me. Light, and Solid Ground both reminded more of folksy type tunes from the 70s that say, 2019.

vraiment cool j'aime trop solid ground

I always get excited when very recent albums show up on this list, since they have been universally good in my experience (the opposite of the phenomenon is when I see any Britpop album from the 90s or 00s). This album was cool, but didn't blow my mind. It was pleasant enough playing in the background, but it didn't come to my attention very often as it was playing. It's a well-crafted album, but it didn't seem particularly groundbreaking in any way that was clear to me. Definitely worth a listen, though I'm not terribly sure why it was included on this list 4/5

Saved Prior: None Off Rip: You Ain't The Problem, Rolling, I've Been Dazed, Piano Joint (This Kind Of Love) Cutting Edge: None Overall Notes: Somewhat surprising choice for this list, but the music speaks for itself. Just saw him at All Things Go, cool to have one of the artists on this list still in their bags. He was incredible and this album is a great listen.

Lol- I'd never heard of him and thought I'd listen to a couple of tracks before moving on. Captivated me from the start. Quite a retro 60's/70's feel but a lot of energy and very well produced.

Fín plata, mun stúdera þennan meira.

Love it. 60s influenced psychedelic soul.

Listened a while back so cant fully remember the details, however I do remember it being a very in depth experience with a focus of unqiue sounds.

Relaxing, deep vocals and jams. This sounds like a beautiful 60s-70s throwback but with a modern twist. An unexpected wonderful listen.

Nimen perusteella ennakko-odotukset oli matalalla. Yllätyin kuitenkin ja muistelen nelosta miettineeni, kun kuuntelin pariin kertaan

Meilleur à date! Je lis rien avant d'écouter et je pensais avoir vu que ça datait de 70s. je trouvais ça tellement avant guardiste! Au milieu j'ai vu que c'est 2019... ça reste un foutu bon album!! Les tones sont très 70s😉 les arrangements sont malades! J'y retournerai

Fav tracks: - You Ain't The Problem - I've Been Dazed - Hard To Say Goodbye - Final Days - Solid Ground Least fav: - Another Human Being

A beautiful album that combines the best of the classic 70s soul of artists like; Curtis Mayfield, Marvin Gaye and Bill Withers with an indie music anesthetic, thanks to the brilliant production from Danger Mouse. I did read critiques saying that it is too "stuck" in the sound of the 70s lacking an updated modern feel and I don't necessarily disagree, however with songs and music this good it's, for me, a minor quibble. 4 🌟

I love the vibe here, Would definitely come back, It is fun to hear. 7/10

Great modern soul/R&B album

Awesome album, I love it. 4

Nice music

Several bangers. Enjoyed this a lot when it came out

Definitely a good singer and has an interesting vintage sound that still sounds "fresh". I liked it overall but couldn't point to a specific track that stood out. About a 3.5-4 for me so I'll round up.

What a great album. Soulfull music. I might have found a new favourite artist!

What a pleasant surprise. Hadn't heard of this. Soulful but modern. Will play again.

I have never heard of this artist. I am eager to.listen for the first time .

A brilliant blend of neo soul, R&B, and rock stylings that come together into a truly magical experience. The last two tracks drag the rating down a bit, but overall this is a very good album.

Super interesting songs saved but some were a bit too out there. 4.05/5

4.1 - great guitar licks and rocking songs. “Hero” definitely a heavy track that grabs your attention.

Liked this album, but none of the songs hit as hard as the Big Little Lies theme (so good). I could definitely hear hints of it though! Liked Solid Ground.

Another very good album and deservedly won the Mercury. Probably marginally my second favourite album of his but not a criticism!

Retro Soul auf modern produziert, FM4 Sunny Side Up Stuff. Herr Rossi sucht das Glück und andere Kindheitsfernsehen aus den 70ern Vibes. Spannend mal wieder ein aktuelles Album zu hören nach den ganzen alten Schinken mit moderner Produktion usw. Rolling bestätigt - es IST FM4 Mukke! xD Total Dynamisch, mal total dicht und plötzlich total transparent (zB piano joint - das Klavier/Gesangssolo mittendrinn). Gitarrenreverb und sonstige geile effekte en masse. Tame Impala lässt grüßen. Am ende teilweise bissl monoton, aber trotzdem solide bis echt gute scheibn

Ah so this is very good I might have to listen to this a few more times because this is absolutely a masterpiece

It was cool! I’d never heard of the guy before but I’m really digging this new wave of r&b that’s been coming out in recent years.

Have never heard of this. Can't think of a better example of why I like going through this list so much. What a pleasant surprise. I'm dancing in my office chair right now. Who doesn't love a band with a rhythm section this good. Especially that bass. Damn. And Kiwanuka's sense of melody (especially in the background vocals) is great. I feel like my criteria for rating these albums changes so much. So, I'm inclined to rate it a 5, but I'm also holding that for the truly superb records. So, I'll just say this is a strong 4. That's five "4" ratings in a row. Am I growing soft in my old age? We'll see...

I scoffed at this at first glance. How could something so new (2019) be on the list? I'd think there'd be some grace period - some time required to let it "breathe" before determining if it's great. But - it's great. The instrumentation beautiful. There's a lot going on, but it doesn't seem like it - it all fits. I know this is listed as folk, but it's also blues, R&B, pop, and probably a few other things. It reminded me (at times) of Robert Bradley (without the Blackwater Surprise). It's old-timey and new. It's artsy, but accessible. I really dug it.

So one tracks like 'Hero' and 'Rolling' have menacing taut groove and some interesting instrumental sounds. In fact, the whole album has a late sixties prog/psychedelic rock feel, with some lysergic sounds and a spacey use of reverb on tracks like 'Piano Joint' and 'Final Days'. The highs are really good but several tracks meander or are just interludes, which takes the album down a notch. That said it's a very satisfying album and potentially one that will grow with each listen.

Mostly rather good, some duff tracks but they're a minority

Lovely lovely lovely

I enjoyed the album, thought it was refreshing, atmospheric, classy and contemporary. Great songs, voice and quality production. While I'm encouraged by more recent additions to the 1001 list, I do wonder if they can stand the test of time? I'd like to come back to this album in a few years time to see if it has the same impact.

Awesome album wish I heard it sooner

Soulful, tuneful…. Great album!

Yowza!! Zoiks!!

Better than I anticipated

Amazing album, with special notes in a new time.

Very interesting - light guitar and piano, plus soulful singing, plus orchestral hits and some noise. My kind of soul.

Sehr gut auch wenn eigentlich nicht mein Ding

Lo trovo intrigante. È un mix interessante di generi che si sposano benissimo fra loro. Servono più ascolti per apprezzare davvero. Kiwanuka ha una voce sensuale ed espressiva.

Very solid music. Since this is recent I am giving 4 stars to maybe boost his scores so we hear more from him in the future

Muy buen disco. Solo tengo mis dudas que este disco haya entrado en la última edición, creo que solo hay edición 2018 del libro. Y además, por más bueno que sea, debería dejarse madurando, muchos de los otros discos están en el listado por lo que han impactado a lo largo del tiempo, un disco del 2019 creo que aún no ha logrado ese impacto, sin demeritar su calidad claro

Soulful, groovy, funky. Soundtrack to a 70s dinner party.

Bangin

Solid ground is a classic. The rest of the album is wonderful warm and soulful

Never heard kiwanuka, awesome!

I wouldn't have found this album on my own and I had never heard of the artist (apparently he's more popular in the UK) but it was quite good - a modern album with elements of retro soul. 4/5 stars as I felt that the album became a bit slow and ambient.

Melodic songs in a softer style. Reminded me of 70s pop in places.

60s vibe. Very chill, relaxing.

Paul Simon meets Soul/Pop. Enjoyable listen but lost my attention towards the end. Suriprised by how much of the album I recognised from the radio

Wow, this was really great. Recent album, but sounded more like late 60's psychedelia. Very good discovery. 4 stars.

Was hier zu Anfang so schmissig Senor Rossi übers Parkett jagt, entwickelt sich zum wahnsinnig schönen und vielfältig-ausgewogenen Kunstwerk. Nicht erst mit dem zweigeteilten Mittelstück „Piano Joint“, wo James Blake nahtlos an Zero7 übergibt, erreicht Michael Kiwanuka seine Meisterweihe - aber ab dann erst recht. Seine warme und unaufdringlich markante Stimme lässt erahnen, was aus Coldplay hätte werden können („I‘ve been dazed“), wo Khruangbin das Tuning gut täte („Rolling“ & „Hero“), The Go!Team ihre Bratzigkeit sparsamer eigesetzt haben könnten („You Ain‘t the Problem“) und er so schmachtend perfekt Jonathan Jeremiah‘s Brother of Different Father wäre („Living in Denial“). Lovely 4.4

Soulful, catchy, and moving.

I feel bad rating this as I’m going to as broadly I quite liked the album. It was pleasant enough and typically would be the kind of thing I enjoy more than I did. It felt a little too safe and going through the motions though. For someone whose voice is so well suited to this style of music, I don’t he used it to the extent that he could have and at times the music was rather dull. I’ll try and listen to some of his other albums as o think there is some real scope for something great but in my eyes, this was not it.

ok

Good，但是不够身体性也没完全文学性

It's fine and chill. Nothing really stuck out too much

First few songs were enjoyable and the execrable slow jams of Piano Joint started and I wanted to plunge a fork into my eardrums. I went back later and there are some other good songs. This album is just too uneven for me to legitimately enjoy it. OTOH, a playlist based on I've Been Dazed might be okay. Nah. Who am I kidding. I'll just go listen to King Buffalo if I want stoner space jams.

Kind of a weak 3. Parts of this I couldn't stand, particularly most of Living in Denial. But much of it was surprisingly pleasant, considering I don't like much in the soul (I guess?) genre it mainly inhabits.

70

Decent.

RATING: 7/10 HIGHLIGHT: I’ve Been Dazed LOWLIGHT: Living in Denial

Good vibes on this one

nothing super crazy but some cool production tricks on this one.

Had heard the name of the artist before but never listened previously. Really loved the energy of the first three tracks, rest of the album was still a solid listen. Going to dig deeper into the catalogue. 3.5/5

Would definitely give this another spin. wasn't what I expected and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Guy has a great voice.

I've heard this before and been into it, but this time it struck me as pretty milquetoast.

Decent. A bit samey in places for me. A few stand out tracks - the first track obviously and Solid Ground.

Lovely orchestration. I should have listened to it lying on my bed with my eyes closed

- I think the first song was a bad start for me because it's cluttered, I don't like the tonalities, and his voice feels nasal and thin and has this kind of diphthong effect to it that bothers me. - Also, I *hate* the screechy ooooh oooh, la la la, na na na backing vocals on every song they're on because it feels basic and childish. I really wish they weren't there - they definitely take me out of the songs. - As for the instrumentation, it tends to feel overproduced, in general. I just want it all to feel a little more free. My biggest gripe is the guitar tone throughout. For example, on Hero, it feels thin, echoey, and round at the same time - like it's way in the back of the room. - On the other hand, I enjoy the keys and the laidback groove of the rhythm section. - The album did grow on me, but I'm having a hard time articulating what I do like about it. I think I like that it's melodic and vulnerable. - I guess it's a 2.5.

Good album bdisnt blow my socks off but not terrible!

Quite listenable but didn’t grab me in any particular way. hero was a stand-out

Really good album.

Solid album. It almost feels a little over-produced, and don't feel like it has enough substance for me to give it a higher score. This guy is definitely talented though. The first track was my favorite.

a lovely surprise, very cool energy straight out the gate. i think that energy peters out by the end--the back half makes me really miss the front--but this intersection point of rock and soul really makes some magic. You Ain't The Problem is a fantastic opener, def my favorite song. strong 3

Rating: 7/10 A modern touch on a kind of music you would hear 50 years ago. Beautiful soul with a powerful deep voice and well incorporated rock instrumentation for a satisfying genre fuse. It's really of the influence of Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone to me, but not just a copy, an original inspired take. The album doesn't fully blow me away, it's just a good really well made one, and often beautiful, though the run time veers on the longer side. Hero is a fantastic song

Kinda remember this guy from back when home again came out definitely didn't keep up with him. This is definitely good not really sure if it deserves to be 1001 atltbyd but it good. Solid record. Not bad.

It was nice

Feels like an indie coming of age movie soundtrack at times and the first 5 songs are literal perfection. Favourite tracks are I've been dazed, rolling and piano joint(this kind of love).

I like you ain't the problem. It feels like a 3 star album. I really like his voice. Not a big fan of piano joint. Light is nice. A bit too slow for my liking. I like hero. I am not the biggest fan of the intros

Nja... Ok men inte mer än så. Han har fin röst och texterna är sorgliga men det räcker inte för att få mig hooked. Jag tappade intresset lite här och där i lyssningen men Hero är fin.

Pretty enjoyable

I really like Michael Kiwanuka and there are classic songs on here, but I prefer Love & Hate. This is more like a 3.5

Enjoyable! But I've always found Kiwanuka a bit middle of the road sorry:(

Interesting modern psych tinged soul. This one may have broken my mercury prize curse.

Album #220 Michael Kiwanuka: KIWANUKA I’m not really sure what to make of this album. It’s a newer album that I’ve never heard of, from an artist that I’ve never heard of, and it has no real discernible genre; the only really way I can think to describe it is as alternative soul. It is definitely enjoyable, and pretty damn well produced; however, I can’t help but feel as though it is lacking in parts. Though every song is pleasant on the ears, most of them don’t really make me feel anything; I find that I run into that issue a lot with modern production. It is too slick and polished to the point where it just melts into my ears without notice. I respect the experimentation though as this album pulls from many different sounds and inspirations to create a pretty unique sound, albeit one that lacks any real identity. I’ll probably have to sit with this one more, but for now I found it quite enjoyable; and Michael Kiwanuka certainly seems to be an artist worth giving more attention to in the future. Best Songs: Final Days, Light, Hero Worst Song: Hard To Say Goodbye Score out of 10: 6.5

Cool album and I see why this is so beloved. The sound is very 2010s Black Keys, but still enjoyable all around. It doesn't transcend anything for me personally but I can definitely appreciate it.

Soft and easy listening. Nice music

This album really interested me, I wouldn't say its my preferred sound but there's nothing bad about it and I enjoyed it

это было относительно интересно послушать, но будто во всех песнях одна и та же структура, и ничего не запомнилось. один трек однако сохранил

사운드(특히 보컬)의 공간감이 나를 어떤 공간으로 인도한다는 느낌이 든다

I did enjoy this, though it got a little samey

powerful and modern

Kinda sounded like a soul variant of [[alt-J]] in some ways. Chill.

My thirty-something colleagues all seem to know Michael Kiwanuka, but for me this was a real discovery. His musical eclecticism and soulful voice reminded me of TV on the Radio, just in a softer, more accessible way. There are plenty of good ideas here, the overall atmosphere is warm and enjoyable, and it’s a pleasant surprise without being truly outstanding. It doesn’t even sound like a 2019 album, which is … refreshing.

6.5/10 Quite liked this album, the first number was my favourite. Really liked how cohesive the overall album was, and enjoyed some of the more unique sounds achieved in the songs.

Just kinda nice to have on.

An enjoyable listen by an artist I've never heard of. No songs immediately grabbed me but I didn't dislike any of it.

Started out well but got a bit boring by the end

2,5

This list has consistently struggled with its contemporary picks for reasons that I'll try to unpack. It's a three-fold sociological problem that thinkers much smarter than I am have all described variously as the problems of the uneven distribution of cultural capital (British vs US media/press in this case), algorithmic curation vs curation by critics (I'd never hear KIWANUKA on Spotify or Apple Music without the 1001 list and yes, I've never heard of him or heard this record until today), and finally the general process of canon formation which relies on an ongoing, selective tradition of generational review and revision (as each successive generation discards or tends to forget what it cannot put to its own uses — an album's themes can help make its case on an ongoing basis) rather than instant consensus so that with the passing of time the era seems settled and more fixed or certain (producing some hindsight bias, of course). In many ways this is why so many ratings and reviews of more recent music are much more contested. These determinations are ongoing and current. They are still live, if you will. And thanks to the strange bubbles we each float in now, we can read a lot of incredulous "I've never heard of this, it must not be important"-type reviews. I know, despite knowing better, I've been guilty of that reaction many times. So what to make of Michael Kiwanuka's 2019 KIWANUKA? It trades heavily in 1960s/1970s vibes, from its themes of identity, struggle and resilience to its leveraging of a sonic vocabulary that's already canonical with its psychedelic soul, fuzz guitar and gospel-inspired arrangements. Because it already points backwards to so-called solid ground the listener can readily incorporate it into their understanding. This is music easily parsed into a prestige aesthetic — the word is not just for TV anymore. And here's the thing, aside from some decisions made on the mix and the feeling that he's leaning too much on nostalgic soul tropes, I am here for it. Listening a few times more though I think my initial assessment is partially due to surprise because finally (finally!) there's a contemporary, British pick on the list that I didn't immediately have a negative reaction to. Once the album was over and the algorithm took over I was immediately served some funky era Beck that was a perfect mood match. This leaves KIWANUKA shifting somewhere between three and four stars for me — I don't think I'll listen to this whole album again willingly but a few tracks on a mix or if someone else put it on, I wouldn't complain — and only time and the forces of canon formation can really tell where it will settle for me personally or for him in the greater cultural context.

interesante

nicht was ich erwartet hab, erstmal hab ich dank dem namen an irgendwas...... "afrikanisches" gedacht, dann hab ich dank der lied titel an irgendwas hiphop/ rap mäßiges gedacht, im endeffekt war es... glorified radio musik??? fands langweilig

Not bad. Would revisit.

Chill driving vibes, but songs sound the same

A new artist for me. Not bad. Kinda felt like I was inside a sitcom for a while

Kinda good. I don't know how to describe it, but this album had a very late 2010s sound. Not sure what that is exactly, but it had it.

An enjoyable listen. Probably should have paid more attention.

Nowhere near as pretentious as I feared it would be. Some of the rhythms are catchy, but the melodies are same and his voice is merely okay. I would listen again if I had to, and although I wouldn’t be looking forward to any particular track, I wouldn’t hate it. It’s…fine.

Not bad but nothing special.

Not a bad album at all. beautiful opening track and beautiful production and instrumentation throughout the entire thing. Amazing voice. I think it's slow atmosphere and songs got a bit boring and hard to listen to after a while but it is a beautiful album, no doubt about that

6/10 cool but not for me (mostly)

Havde nogle fine numre imellem, men havde svære vilkår under lytning, så det blev lidt fragmenteret. Bør høres igen.

lovely and warm but i find the writing (lyric- and song-) kind of anonymous, unfortunately. generally suspicious of the very faithful throwback, which makes Living In Denial being my favorite cut here a little surprising, but fuck is it hard to argue with that production!

I had first stumbled onto Michael Kiwanuka on his album Love & Hate with the track Cold Little Heart. I enjoyed the melancholy sounds and his voice was strong and beautiful. I didn't end up diving in deeper at the time, but having this pop up on this list of albums was great. A great album, and makes me want to explore more of his work.

Very interesting. Will def get a second listen.

Nice bit of music

Unaufgeregte Hintergrundmusik- passt schon aber whatever

Not a bad album, and he has a very nice voice. However, there’s laid-back, and then there’s laid out, and this is a little too close to the latter.

I like this, very interesting and different. My only issue is I typically listen when I work out in the morning, this was just a bit slow for that. I will try again later in the day to give it a fair shake. 3.7

Unknown artist. Like the vocal and some of the arrangements. Overall good album.

cerré los ojos y escuche a Otis Redding . Y eso ya me alcanza.

giving me james bond soundtrack vibes at times also just jams

Relaxed, soulful singing.

Lo que me gusta es la tranquilidad de las canciones, aún no alcanzo a escucharlas todas pero me encanta para tenerlo de fondo y así

結構良かった。何回も聞いたらもっと良さがわかると思う。

It was all right! Nice chill background music almost, but nothing that really popped out at me.

I enjoyed it, without ever really getting very excited. I can't think of one track that I would choose to seek out again, I couldn't name a single song. There's a lot of comments on youtube about how amazing this is - lyrically and musically - but I just didn't feel that myself. It was very mediocre in my mind.

Very strong, really solid production wish it was as consistently good as the last two tracks

Overall a good listen some honestly seriously well made songs, but i just didnt really connect with any.

wowww. has a concept and themes that really make it feel like a body of work. however not exactly my taste unfortunately. objectively stellar but not something i would return to.

Lives in Southampton now which is just rouge from him, needs a re listen

listened to it while studying, surely was an interesting find tho it didn’t give me that dopamine release

Got excited when I got this album, but was kind of disappointed. It’s just okay for me. The songs of his I enjoy I realllly love. He has such a unique sound but couldn’t really get into it. I’m going to keep trying in case it’s a slow burn.

Groovy

More somber than I was expecting. I had Solid Ground on a playlist, but I think Michael is better when he reaches into soul music, like in Living in Denial, which was my favorite track on the record. Overall, good album but not great.

It's easy listening, smooth

Hyvää taustamusiikkia, ei yhtään sen enempää. Yks biisi (jonka nimeä en muista) meni listalle ja siis ihan kuunneltavaa tollanen soul/jazz/r&b

Completely serviceable album and I get why it hit for the oldheads who wish music like this was made more today, but it does not hang with the actual classics

I liked this a bunch! I’ve seen Kiwanuka’s name floating around before so it’s nice to know what the deal is. Between yesterday’s pick and a bit of extracurricular Broken Bells listening, you do really learn to pick up when Danger Mouse is in the building. Really liked the blend of genres on this one, and he’s got a really great voice. “Hero” was probably the standout track for me.

Love a lot of the clear influences that go into this and what Michael Kiwanuka wants to do with his music in following them, just don’t really fuck with the end product that much? It all sort of slips off the mind at a certain point and reminds me more of other contemporary would-be throwback soul artists like Leon Bridges than actually getting into the level it aspires to get to with psychedelic guitars, Stevie Wonder grandeur of sound and Marvin Gaye soulfulness and social conscious. I think it also ends up losing some relisten space because it’s so mellowed and intimate and personal, whether that’s fair or not. Perfect radio 6 bait though, no wonder it beat albums I like much more to the Mercury Prize.

Pretty chill album, I got more into it as it went on. Definitely need to listen to it again and my rating for it will probs go up, but for now it's a 3.5

Had never heard of this artist - and enjoyed it. Could come back.

Хороший, спокойный, приятный альбом.

Top songs: rolling and hero. Need to give another listen there were defs some nice jazzy bops

Didn’t really vibe with it but I can tell that it was well produced

I expected a cringe fest but it was decent

A smooth listen on a rainy day

6/10. Decent folk/soul album. Some good tracks eg. the intro and another with a beautiful orchestral arrangement (that i can't remember the name of). Overall, the instrumentation is really good with cool drums and lots of strings. Not my favourite genre but i think for a soul fan, this could be a lot higher

It's good, but not sure if I would return to it.

I quite like a few of Michael Kiwanuka’s songs, but I’m a bit disappointed with this album. Still, three stars...

Mediocre.

eh... its so ehhh

Pretty catchy

I think it took me six tries to make it all the way through this album. I didn't dislike it but there was also nothing about it that made it stand out.

yeah ok

I liked the vibe of it and I’d listen to some of the songs again, just not exactly my cup of tea. Good for vibey background music.

Ihan letkeetä rokkia. Mukavia erikoisia synasoundeja. Mutta välillä tulevat överisäröt tekee pahaa. Tää levy on tullu 2019, en ihan ymmärrä mikä tästä tekee erikoisen.

i could have never guess this was made in 2019. it feels like something not made today yk. the instrumentals are holy omds

6/10

Slippery hog

Chill. Pretty boring to me but not unpleasant to listen too.

Some great stand out tracks but it feels a bit repetitive on the whole

There is nothing aggressively bad about it or good. I just don't really care about the songs. Might just not be my type of mysic.

Hermoso instrumental. Mi primer disco de los 2010. Gran compañía para estudiar.

What makes Kiwanuka great is atmosphere with backbone. A lot of “serious” modern soul records confuse softness with depth. This one does not. The arrangements are spacious, psychedelic, and often beautiful, but there is tension underneath them. You can feel doubt, history, fatigue, and stubborn dignity running through the whole thing. The album does not shout its importance. It earns it by control.

This one also needs another listen cuz I was really feeling it at the end but it was pretty consistent yet unremarkable for the first 70% of the album. Like I said, it could’ve been an unfair shake as I enjoyed the last four tracks a lot and I heard those in the morning after some sleep.

3/5 pretty gud

viel beter mee dan verwacht... niet direct mijn kopje thee, maar ik kon het smaken

liked the music

Interesting, I didn't dislike this, but none of it really stuck with me beyond a passing interest.

o timbre da guitarra e os sintetizadores me chamaram muita atençao, gostei de algumas pegadas meio eletronicas jogadas no meio do album 3.5/5

Fine.

Inoffensive, but not very good.

Chill vibes, bit creepy

This felt like the soundtrack to a really cool movie

*Very cool guitar tone with Africana

I rate it with a 8/10, and my favorite song is Piano Joints

5 - AVERAGE

A lot of elements here that I’m very much into. All the descriptions & comparisons & collabs & related artists set the stage for a big win. And I did like it… I don’t doubt I would like it even more with repeated listings. It’s a bit slow tho. 3 stars

Pas spécialement ma came mais ça s'écoute bien en musique d'ambiance, ça pourrait clairement se voir sur fip

kiwaniga snimio sasvim solidan album koji nije moj đir, ali koji mogu cijeniti i za koji mogu reći da mi je drago da sam ga preslušao :)

Instrumental is to loud compared to lyrics on you ain’t the problem

Like Curtis Mayfield and Isaak Hayes got together to do a blaxploitation movie soundtrack. Kinda groovy, kinda funky. Big drums and big sounds.

I hadn’t heard of Michael before and I really wanted to like this one. He’s a singer songwriter who plays nearly all his own instruments (apparently only gets in a drummer and a few specialized instruments). And there’s just so many ideas and so much going on musically with some of these tracks it’s just hard to hear them as a tight coherent track - it really feels like he had these ideas but he had to record them one instrument at a time and the sum is just somehow more (or less) than the parts. At its best it’s rich and dense and inspired arrangements but sometimes it’s disjointed and not tight and sequenced as a well rehearsed band. But I will return for a repeat listen.

Very chill relaxing album, enjoyed the whole thing but no singles out bangers. I want to give it another listen, it’s probably like a 3.3 rating so I’m sticking with 3

This artist was completely unknown to me, and I liked what I heard! There was a warmth in this R&B that reminded me of the old Motown records, where the heart would shine through and the music was tight and precise but not stiff. Guy's got a nice voice. I did kind of zone out near the end, and I wish the album was a few tracks shorter, but this was a nice surprise. I'd give it a 3.5 if I could, but alas.

3.5 lowkey pretty good

Unlikely to get revisited but I enjoyed it for the supremely smooth and chill listen that it is.

3 - started off strong but started to fade

It was i gight

Good soul music, but it didn't appeal to me much. Would say it's good.

Actually quite nice.

Was alright

Interesting album. Some of the music I liked, and some just seemed to drag on way too long.

Michael lives near me! Other people have seen him out walking his dog! I'm wondering what breed his dog is. Hoping it's a golden retriever.

This definitely has a throwback soul feel. While there are some modern production touches, the songwriting and elements like the backing vocals recall the 70s. The highlight is the fuzzy guitar tones. The opening track is highlighted by that guitar and some rhythmic drums, and it's the highlight. There are some other meaty tracks here, but also a lot of slower and smoother ones. Kiwanuka's voice is great, though I find he's often not the center of attention, instead letting the psychedelic sounds around him take charge. When the songs are strong, this works. When the songs feel less creative, it makes the songs feel like they're missing something. I like this overall, but I wish it had more exciting songwriting or Kiwanuka had a bigger presence.

brat ne e losho ama.. v kakva situaciq trqbva da go slusham tova?

No me gust este tipo de música pero me gustaron los sonidos

Mejor canción: I've been dazed Canción que menos me gustó: las intros, se me hizo muy largas con la canción. Puntaje: 5/10 Notas: No es wow pero está bien no es mi genero

Its cool, I like the whole psychedelic soul vibes. Nothing immediately stands out though, and it does outstay it's welcome by the end. But a more concentrated, more focused, shorter album of this? That would be awesome.

Pleasant, enjoyable, nice voice, easy to listen to the entire album quickly without thinking. Great for outdoor reading vibes. Not extremely memorable to me.

Very chill. Especially enjoyed „Final Days“ and „Solid Ground“

3, tal vez 3.5

Fine. Great instrumentals, didn't love the vocals, dragged a little bit

I enjoyed it.

Listenable.

Stark 3, kanske skulle kunna växa till en fyra. Mycket fin röst.

slätt lite coldplay-vibes? eller är jag helt ute och cyklar

Interesting album, calm music for in the background. Only staple songs for me really was Piano joint.

Great album

Mediocre but occasionally soulful and mesmerising. Still, I don't love any individual song, and it's missing something -- cohesion, maybe? variety? Fuck knows.

More Jazz than Rock I think but enjoyable all the same

I know the artist but never gone deep into his catalog. Really high listener counts for such a young album. "Solid Ground" has 56M, "You Ain't The Problem" has 42M, "Piano Joint" has 25M, "Hero" has 31M. No song has fewer than 6.5M so this is a popular release. His voice is pretty average but he has a good rhythm section to carry him. This feels like a bit of a throwback album, it gives a nod to late 60's and 70's R&B with the horns and strings ("Living In Denial" or "Hard To Say Goodbye" are great examples). "Hero" was the highlight for me, best song by a mile. I didn't love it. Overall I felt like it was a personal album, kinda churchy, and a bit too mellow. The message was lost on me, not a lyrics guy. I thought it was 3 or 3.5 out of 5 maybe. I must've missed something, it never struck a chord.

Very easy going. Not something I would want to listen to on the regular but I did enjoy it.

Schönes Album. Mischung aus Lighthouse Family und Sims 1 Baumodus (ich mag beide). Was dieses Album jetzt so herausragend machen soll erschließt sich mir aber nicht.

New to me, a solid mix of beats, jazzy soul and pop - polished, but delivered with an approachable indie/DIY aesthetic. Perhaps a bit mid-paced and brooding while lacking standout individual tracks, this is, however, more than a sum of its parts and I can't really find much to fault here. Eclectic without - as is so often the case - ramming this fact down your throat. An honest album with a genuine vintage soul-pop feel and delivery, for my personal tastes just a tad too ponderous and laid back for too much of its runtime, but, yeah, definitely worth a listen.

Интересная приятная музыка, но в душу ничего не запало

Beginning was fun but got boring at track 4 middle tracks were a groove but too many instrumentals 13 is super psychedelic type stuff ending had some good rnb but not really something id litsen to Favorite: your not the problem Least: final days

I bought this but it's telling that it never gets selected for a replay, it's very good and well produced but there's something melancholic about it that's slightly depressing. Still a good album and I don't feel absorbed by it

Enjoyable, but it got a little samey after awhile.

I liked this album. Upbeat, interesting, and different.

Always a pleasant listen. But just doesn't grab me. Too much guitar shit going on.

nice, i didn’t dislike it, but i did get bored and not finish

Nice to hear some of the origin of Michael Kiwanuka - Cold Little Heart.

Futuristic soul that sounds like a sexy church.

Was good, few songs that i liked

Eh. Not my style, but good production. Good background music.

Honestly not too bad.