KIWANUKA

Astonishingly beautiful album. Michael Kiwanuka has an incredible mind for production and sound. His voice is easy and his conceptualization of the musical containers for his lyrics are spot on. A completely unusual take on this album is this: since the pandemic I’ve been looking for art that has made sense of the experience that we’ve been through as human beings, both locally and globally. I found that some of the best pandemic art including books were created in the years just prior to 2020. And this is the first album I’ve really found that captures the varieties of experience of that time. This album has stories of doubts stories of rescue stories of fear and redemption. It’s an album that captures a spiritual journey, but it’s also one that can stand for the common human experience that we can refer to having lived through the pandemic. Kiwanuku is an absolute gem. This album deservedly won the Mercury prize and plaudits from around the world. It’s an instant addition to my library and that makes it an automatic five. This might be the first album I’ve heard in this exercise for which I’m grateful.

I wish I had more time to unfurl my thought on this. Every time I listen to this I appreciate it more, and see and hear more things - more feels, more little details, more moods, more subtle shifts. Every time I get touched in a deeper way. There is so much talent packed in these 14 songs. So many stories, so many accents. His voice and his guitar work is beautiful. The craft involved to create each of these little objects is unbelievable. A gem of a record, that I would probably not have listened to if not for this list.

Nope

Cool new discovery! I think this would take a few listens to sink in, but enjoyed it for sure.

My first impression of this album (which I've not listened to since its release) are of a nice smooth and well-delivered soul album. I'm not massively grabbed by this - it's a bit too easy listening for my taste. Kiwanuka's voice is great, but I wish there was a bit more passion there.

Pretty good. Better than expected

Lovely and smooth. The gunshot/snare juxtaposition on "Living in Denial" made me jump. Wonderful production and performances throughout.

Very good. This album was a pleasant surprise. This was my first exposure to this artist and I really liked it.

Another totally new one for me, and a very pleasant surprise! Solid soul music, I will have to dig into more from this guy.

Really great. I didn’t know this artist and enjoyed this a lot but didn’t quite reach five stars, but I’d listen to more of this guy.

This was a pleasant surprise. I somehow missed this album when it came out. Michael Kiwanuka has a knack for capturing the authentic sound of the 60s and 70s soul while introducing modern little tweaks here and there that do just enough to keep you interested and wondering what might be coming next. I agree with others that this album works really well as a complete album and not just a collection of singles. I certainly have my favorite tracks but I think I will keep them to myself and just ask that people give the whole album a listen to. I think they will find it worth it. I also enjoyed that Kiwanuka wrote many of the lyrics of the songs from a universal point of view and especially from a viewpoint of compassion and hope. On the few songs that delved into subjects that have been done to death recently, the song arrangements and performances were done so well that I still enjoyed the track, despite disagreeing with the viewpoint of the message, and that is a pretty nifty magic trick to accomplish. I can see why he toured with Adele in 2011. She opened the decade with a classic and he closed the decade with an equal classic of his own.

Surprisingly enjoyable. The first track really kicks.

Amazing

I liked this so much more than I thought I was going to!

Michael Kiwanuka is a British man from a Ugandan family, who makes a modern version of soulful R&B. His songs have a joyful energy that Kiwanuka carries in his rich voice, and is developed in an interest mixture of musical influences. African rhythms are complimented by backup singers, a horn section, and synthesizers to give it a modern twist.

felt like i was taken away somewhere beautiful for an hour

dat bass

An interesting 1970s vibe - I liked it!

I oddly like this album. Even though it seems sad, I enjoy the melody

Nice, easy to listen to, but nothing stood out or made me feel excited.

I really liked Michael’s voice and Danger Mouse’s production. Some songs were a little slow for me

seeehr cool de ersti song. mega 70s soul mit de congas und so. aber er macht irgendwie chli meh demit. gad d drums sind seeehr überstüürt und gönd huuere los. bassline vo rolling isch riiichtig geile scheiss. i like. ive been dazed isch jo huuuere geil fuck. hypnotisch irgendwie. hammer. piano joint isch uultra schön, er singt suuper sini stimm isch so weich. s zücht eim meeega ine, hard to say goodbye het au meega schöni sounds und isch mega athmosphärisch ohni langwilig sii. sobalder afoht singe wird seehr subtil groovy und denn schlagzüg ine lesgooo. final days isch au huuere geil. simmer moll? simmer dur? woane?? light isch en meeeega schöne closer holy shit. bin scho fast tempted zum es füfi geh.

schomal sehr coole ahfang, ich lieb die "überstürt" gitarre de übergang vo rolling zu I've been dazed sehr geil, han zerst gmeint es seg eifach e ruhigi bridge fuck piano joint isch insane find au d interludes passed sehr und mached s album flüssend I NEED A HERO TILL THE END OF THE NIIGHT oeff so fuckking geil das verzerrte solo light huere schö seeeehr knapp amene 5i verbii, s het echlii chürzer chönne sii und hie und da hets moment geh woni churz abgschalte han aber suscht wowiie

Beautiful, More complexity than his previous albums

Really nice listening. Smooth

I like it, but it’s not blowing me away for some reason. Should be great, but is lacking soul? Sounds like movie/tv show soundtrack music.

Surprisingly loved this!

As the album went on I ended up enjoying this way more than I thought I would.

The opener is a fucking banger Rolling is a bit weaker I sure have been dazed... The intro to the next song is longer than 2 minutes? Damn. Guess my thinking is NuNu coded lol Piano joint is very very good Living in denial is better than I expected It looks like a 7.5/10 for now It's enjoyable, and there are a lot of highlights, but there's something missing for me Final dayssssss The later songs are increasing the rating i think It's a good album.

Not really for me. I did really enjoy the track "Hero" though.

"You Ain't The Problem" is a great opening track. Pretty solid album, do not think I will be listening to it all the way through again. Ended with 5 saved tracks.

It's a very rainy afternoon but it doesn't feel like it with this playing. I'm going to be wondering for a while about what that sound is at the start of Hard to Say Goodbye, though. Realising I recognised the first song was a nice start, and the last one sounded light before I even saw the title :)

One of the reasons I started this project was to discover new music I haven't heard before. This was a discovery. Shades of Isaac Hayes and Curtis Mayfield with plenty of soul, a touch of folk and even a dash of prog. (Check out the mellotron.) This was really cool Neo soul music and I will listen again and will dig into his discography.

Album 380 of 1001 Michael Kiwanuka - KIWANUKA Rating : 3.5 / 5 I enjoyed this album. Released in 2019, it is part of the updated 1001 Album list. Wasn't familiar. Good stuff. Classified as Soul/Folk, yet had a Best Rock Album nomination, so hard to categorize. Sometimes a category isn't needed. This is just a good listen, no label needed.

Toe-tapping, catchy, emotional, and incredibly interesting instrumentation. Co-production from Danger Mouse that hits your damn soul *just* right. Whew. KIWANUKA shines and provides some legitimately refreshing melodies. Is this modern-day Motown with a healthy dose of "Dark Side"-era Pink Floyd? Whatever genre this fits into, I LOVED this album. Each song seamlessly flows into the next, and it really feels like a collection of songs to be listened to together, in order. The intro tracks (and the outro after "Final Days") don't feel forced or unnecessary. Kiwanuka's vocals are dripping with soul, emotion, and realness on every song. His acoustic guitar fingerpicking sounds effortless on the acoustic tracks and blends perfectly with the rest of the instruments. Likewise with the soft electric guitar solo work that, again, channels the best that David Gilmour has recorded. It's clear all involved put a LOT of work into KIWANUKA. "Piano Joint (This Kind Of Love)" in particular brought me to tears. The earnest sadness of "Solid Ground," and the way Michael's vocals are swallowed up by the swelling strings and piano for the last minute. Just, damn. Seeing this album was on a bajillion "Best of 2019" music lists while I listened and scanned Wikipedia did not surprise me one bit. This might be my first completely unknown-to-me album during this project that I was completely struck by. Incredibly deserving of a 5 star rating and I'm glad it's on this list. Interesting Factoids from Wikipedia: *The opening track to this album ("You Ain't The Problem") was used by broadcaster ITV as its theme tune for its coverage of the Men's Football Euros 2020. *The album won the Mercury Prize 2020. It was the third time in his career he had been nominated following nominations for Home Again and Love & Hate but the first time he had won. Interesting Factoids from SongFacts.com: *This upbeat track ("You Ain't The Problem") was born out of Michael Kiwanuka's feelings of inferiority in an industry that is highly competitive. "If you don't belong, live in the trouble," he defiantly sings. *(On "Piano Joint (This Kind Of Love)): The singer added this song originally had a different theme and chorus - "My oh my, it's sad in love." He and his producer Danger Mouse liked it a lot, and it rhymed perfectly, but he just couldn't sing the lyrics because they were too negative. He decided this was his moment to move away from his love of melancholy songs....New York served as an inspiration for "Piano Joint." Kiwanuka explained to Q Magazine: "The chords made me think of '70s New York and that soulful sound, like, Donny Hathaway and Roberta Flack. It has that kind of regalness to it." *(On "Hero"): This acoustic, reverb-drenched track was the hardest song on Kiwanuka to write lyrics for. Michael Kiwanuka had had the music and melody, written with Danger Mouse and UK producer Inflo, for a couple of years; he just couldn't come up with any words that felt right. Then one day he was flicking through pictures on his phone of civil rights activist Fred Hampton. The 21-year-old chairman of the Black Panthers' Illinois chapter was shot and killed in his bed by police in 1969; Kiwanuka started thinking about how young Hampton was when he got killed. This prompted him to reflect on some of the musical icons who had died young too. Standout Tracks: You Ain't The Problem, Rolling, I've Been Dazed, Piano Joint (This Kind Of Love), Hero, Final Days, Solid Ground, Light

Another good album. 5/5

nice

this is one of those albums made by MICHAEL

Честно, понравилось как одна песня перетекает в другую, но многое пропустила мимо ушей

Correcto.

This was really enjoyable. Some were a little funky but all in all they were so beautiful and different. It was one of the first albums I felt was really something different and didn't remind me of something else we had listened to. Hard to Say Goodbye was a little long but the rest were just beautiful mixes of so many different sounds that just worked so well together.

Really dug this! It’s so soulful and a real journey of ebbing and flowing energy. Feels very intentionally put together. It’s full of both haunting heartache and rockin’ jams. Hero gave total Jimi Hendrix vibes. Beautiful stuff.

Amazing soul album. Blends a lot of styles.

A fresh and daring blend of multiple genres addressing racism and social inequality. Really must be listened to in full.

Newest Easy listening album added to the latest edition of this list

extremely nice vibes - a great album to ear whilst working or on a chill walk. very glad to have heard this!

Such a great find! Soulful and smooth

Dense as a positive aspect, and retro while remaining distinctly modern. In some ways, it reminds me of Kirin J. Callinan’s Bravado, because I feel like it’s a ‘70s record that just so happened to be released in the 2010s. But unlike Bravado, which can turn abrasive and ultra-modern at the drop of a hat, Kiwanuka always marches forward on a traditionalist path. That isn’t necessarily a slight, because it makes for a seamless album that flows aesthetically and sonically into a singular statement, but sometimes, it also means that, while good, it can feel somewhat bland. It’s so traditionalist that I almost feel like I’ve heard it all before, and without anything fresh upfront to excite me, I’m having a hard time clicking with this. And I get that some of the freshness I’m looking for is in its contextualization, or better, in its recontextualization. In that way, it reminds me a lot of Ethel Cain, an artist I haven’t yet been able to get into because the treasure is buried beneath, and frankly, I just don’t have time to dig for buried treasure any more at this stage in my life. My ears are like the slush pile – if I’m not entranced after the first paragraph, you’re getting a rejection. Which is cruel, because I do like a lot of what this album is doing. It’s just not doing anything particularly unique to my ears to elicit excitement. That said, I wouldn’t be surprised if this grows on me by the end of the challenge. To be fair, I feel like that is the intention with this record – you’re supposed to sit with it for a month or six, and then, suddenly, it blossoms into an obvious magnum opus, and you feel foolish for not seeing it earlier. But my first impression is that it’s very good, just not something I’m falling head over heels for any time soon.

A pretty good sound rock album. One of the singles was kind of overplayed, unfortunately.

Another unknown artist and album for me. My expectations were not high but I try not to judge a book by the cover. Although this has a few moments that I like and I didn't mind just having it on as background noise while working, it's not something I'll revisit again.

I'm actually surprised that, given the contemporary nature of this album, it hasn't crossed into my orbit before this moment. I am enjoying a lot that is here. His voice (in my ear) is like a love child between Damon Albarn and Thom Yorke, mixed with something a bit more full bodied. Really beautiful production throughout making use of gospel-like elements and instrumental layering that make a beautiful platform for his voice to shine. I've Been Dazed is a really spread out and warm song. Love the gospel support and layering in general. The electronic + strings at the back half makes this feel so warm and fuzzy. Piano Joint is beautiful and soulful. Love everything about it. Living in Denial gives a callback to 70s disco/soul (probably muffing those genres, but whatever). Actually on a second listen, I realize I get strong BADBADNOTGOOD vibes from the composition of that song.

I missed calling out the SAULT Untitled (Black Is) for latest album (June 2020), but this one fits into second place at November 2019. I wouldn't be surprised if this is the last time I make a mention of latest albums over the next ~600 albums. This is a terrific album. Beautiful voice with clean, chill backing instrumentation. Feels like it's somewhere between Gary Clark Jr and Jungle. Easy 4

Had no idea what to expect going into this album, but that was a phenomenal listen and an extremely well produced album. He is a great singer and the mix of piano, drums, and strings worked perfectly with his singing style. I always enjoy albums that have songs seamlessly flow into each other as well. I will be adding this to my re-listening library for sure.

Pretty recent one! Had this on in the background while working and it was insanely good morning music. I downloaded it to my phone and excited to listen again. His voice is so smooth and the whole album had a lot of feeling behind it. Will definitely be back especially during some nice summer days. High 4

7 / 10 Pop - Soul con muy buenos arreglos y una gran voz. Pero no tan bueno como la canción que lo lanzo a la fama.

I liked the instruments more that the singing. I liked the second to last song,, his voice was more unique than the others. One of the songs reminded me of a feeling I had while reading Homegoing.

Still listening

No

First modern album on here I've found original and really liked.

Wow, simply astounding. The combination of genres and influences is just exquisite in this album. Definitely putting it on my rotation.

Oh my goodness, what an absolute gem this is! It's nice to see some newer albums making the cut here and I can honestly say this is the first album/artist I hadn't hear of before to get 3 back-to-back spins. This is insanely fresh and a wonderful mix of genres. Initial impressions were it sounds like a more Psychadelic Curtis Mayfield, but it quickly evolves beyond that to something entirely unique to itself. An absolute must listen. Standout Tracks: The whole album is really an experience, but if I were absolutely forced to pick out favorites... You Ain't the Problem, Rolling, Piano Join (This Kind of Love), Hero, Solid Ground

An easy listen, but I feel the sounds were very forgettable. Like listening to a song on a hotel speaker, I did not hate the noise, but knew I wouldn't be able to name a song.

Calm and chilling music, but nothing that seemed really memorable or notable.

Here’s one I’ve caught a few snippets of over the years, but never given my full attention to. And boy howdy, this is a modern classic! There’s so much happening here that I love about music; genre bending and blending while still managing to be consistent, combined with unpredictability! Every track is solid, with staple singles that completely pop thanks to perfectly crafted interludes.

Kiwanuka soars through soundscapes of his own making with an effortless ease and exacting control befitting only a musician of his prodigious caliber.

Excellent singer/ song writer

Some nice tunes here. Never heard of this album or artist. It's not 90s hip hop so I won't listen to it again.

Pleasantly surprised. I haven't listened to this artist before, but really enjoyed it!

also not terrible. modern production quality certainly helps

overall really good album, with catchy songs, but also some slower cuts. not really fond of the choir/folkal elements tho.

Outstanding. A proper album with a beginning, middle and ending. Great to listen to it all the way through as intended. Great songwriting and a voice and musician to match.

Rock, folk, and indie music combined. “You ain’t the problem” really grabbed my attention and the next two songs were also bangers. Then it get moody, a little boring, but always melodically intricate. This dude has talent and is fun to listen to.

Bardzo ciekawy album. Myślę że do niego wrócę. Immaculate vibes

first listen. this album is phenomenal!! so grateful to this list for introducing me to it. now im gonna listen to Piano Joint (This Kind Of Love) on repeat!!

I first became aware of MK when he was interviewed by Guy Garvey on his BBC Radio 6 show. He came across well and the music played stirred my interest to research and listen his music more. I wasn’t moved enough to go out and buy any of his albums. I found lots of things to like but equally other tracks which were duds to my ears. A bit like this album really. I have listened it fully from start to finish. MK is obviously a very talented man being able to knot together more musical genres than you can shake a stick at. The knotting together is particular good as each track merges seemlessly unnoticeably but then again it is noticeable how good this is achieved. 75% of this album is brilliant - Piano Joint, Hero, Solid Ground been highlights. One or two other tracks do not measure up for me but this is true for lots of albums as very few albums are perfect. I could be persuaded to go out and buy this album but it certainly goes onto a streaming playlist. I’d would rate it a midway 2.5 but as Guy Garvey rates MK music so much and because Guy has introduced me to so much good music (as well as his own) it must be a 3. 2.5(3)/5 27/3/24

Best Rolling Stones album!

Poppy folky, good stuff

this is a seriously beautiful album. i've never heard of this guy before but consider me a fan now. truly a great experience listening to this album. all of the tracks are fantastic, but they work so well together it would be hard to not listen to the whole thing again. my only gripe is that i wish the song intros were combined with the songs they're for.

I love the beautiful choices for backing, from orchestral strings to soulful backup singers and discordant guitar wails and piano. It mixes it up without making the album feel disjointed. The slow ballad vibe is great too. I don’t usually think of the album covers, but I found the art and font and spacing of this album very striking and fitting with the sound.

One of my favorite, recent, concept albums. Amazing sounds, fantastic songwriting, I see myself listening to this many more times.

beautiful, haunting, deep

Trabajo subidor de ánimos, con temas más bailables y otros más introspectivos. Medio lo-fi. Lo imagino para escuchar tirado, fumando. La canción que mejor combina todo lo anterior es Hero, por lejos. Una muy grata sorpresa en la última semana de marzo en Argentina.

It was okay.

Blew me away. New favorite album. Thanks!

This was really enjoyable. Another in the list of albums I don't think I'll actively seek out again but I enjoyed thoroughly and am glad I heard it all the way through at least once. The incorporation of the fuzzy psychedelic guitars that seem popular within certain parts of Africa (currently escaping me where, maybe somewhere nearer the East coast but not quite the horn?) was so so good and the production over felt one step away from being what I would describe as lush and instead using a base of acoustic instruments that feel quite raw at times and are greatly enhanced by these "lush" embellishments. Very cool vocal inflections too

I had never heard of this guy before and my expectations were low, but damn this was good!

Pleasant, easy-going tunes

This is excellent! Another artist/album I’ve never heard of before, and am happy to have discovered. Definitely something I’ll listen to again. I love these albums that defy easy categorization. Favorite tracks: You Ain’t The Problem, Hero, Solid Ground

This album is sweet. It is a very smooth blend of genres. So smooth I really couldn't pin it down if I tried. Michael has a great voice and the production is crisp.

Deserves a 5, I've listened before but this time I properly listened. Lyrics are simple but somehow fresh.

Very beautiful album! Great atmosphere and vibe. Some songs are a bit bland. 7/10

This was a really cool album with an eclectic mix of influences. The songs contained a mix of tribal, rock, pop, blues, and experimental sounds. As a whole, the album was groovy, catchy, and uplifting. I really liked his unique vocal style and the lyrics including themes of love, pain, religion, and touching on social issues.

Love this shit

Great album. Loved the sound. Hooked from the first song. Added it all to the library

Nice to do some work to.

Phenomenal from start to finish. Crafted with skill, care, and a true love of storytelling via music. "Hero" and "Final Days" were standouts for me. It's a wonderful experience to be exposed to an artist gifted in their craft. 10/10

7.5

full of bangers

5 albums in and I got someone I never heard of before. I must say, I am super impressed. If anyone tells you that modern music sucks, direct them to this album! Best Song: I've Been Dazed Worst Song: Piano Joint (This Kind of Love) - Intro Most Likely to be Used in a Car Commercial: Rolling Album Score: 9/10

I thought that this wouldn't be too great, based on the first few songs in the album, but the song Hero was quite nice, although it was quite repetitive. It's okay though, but the rest of the songs are a bit meh.

This album was great. He has a smooth voice and sound.

I really like how one song flowed to another. It was a interesting fusion of several genres as well.

I was not expecting big things from this album because we have not had much luck with soul albums from this list in my humble opinion (cough cough Kelela cough cough), but this was fantastic. Easy 5 stars and one of my favorite albums that we've had so far. His voice is great, lyrics also great with a story and umph behind them. Musically it was great with splendid variety from slower more melancholy songs to more upbeat tracks. I absolutely loved this album.

wow-not familiar at all with this artist so had no idea what to expect. what an absolute pleasant surprise! thoroughly enjoyed this-such an eclectic/funky/soul vibe. great blend of instruments & vocals.

Primer album que escucho gracias a esta lista y menuda forma de empezar. Magnífico de principio a fin. Es capaz de crear una atmósfera musical mágica, sin anclarse en un único género musical y bebiendo de diversas influencias, todo esto sin descuidar las maravillosas letras que potencian el ambiente que consigue crear.

Enjoyed that quite a bit. Not sure how to describe. More sour than rock. 3.75

Great voice, but nothing else stands out.

This is fantastic. I love his voice, the instrumentation is gorgeous, the themes are super relevant and deep. The thing is, I still really hate including albums this recent here. It just hasn't had time to prove it's long-term relevance and influence at all yet.

Good soul funk rock

This album is the reason I continue on with this project. Every once in a while you get an album that isn’t garbage, nor is it great and iconic but you’ve heard it a hundred times before. Here’s an artist I never heard of, but clearly should have. Good stuff.

Big fan of Michael Kiwanuka. Big thumbs up

Pleasantly surprised by this. I listened to this while heading into work 90 minutes early before the sun came up. Was really really nice. Idk if I’d listen to it again on purpose, but really enjoyed it.

The sound of this album was like the exact middle point of Jon batiste, sault, the black keys, and thundercat; all of which I love, so naturally I really loved this album. It was so funky and bluesy and soulsy and jazzy and folksy that I wouldn’t be able to listen to it critically even if I tried. Final days, hero, and you ain’t the problem were my favs.

Hope!! :) 4.5

Enjoyed this chill, uplifting album

New soul! Really like this album.

Good album. Great combination of sounds.

What a nice surprise.

Really loved this album. Not quite a 5, but close

Love all the sounds across the record, such a radically different rock sound that ever other album so far

This album was awesome. I listened to a bunch of the songs on repeat throughout the day. It had a very interesting set of sounds. Some of the songs felt very familiar to me, but I couldn't put my finger on why. I'll definitely listen to this again and explore more of his work. 8/10

Like the artist's vocals and the blues influence, a tad bit slow for me.

great african-soul-rock album, not the bedt one of Kiwanuka, but still awesome. Soild Ground is still in my heart

Strong album, start to finish.

Sounds very much old-school yet modern at the same, with a blend of what feels like soul and rock/indie rock. Starts off great with the opening track & single of "You Ain't The Problem" then really just flows nicely from there. Wasn't familiar before, but this won me over. Great overall album experience.

10/10

Too generic.

Excellent album, the sound is just great (may also have to do with co-producer Inflo) and the songs are strong.

Awesome album I’d never heard before. Opening track really hooks you. Has a timeless feel to it.

Definitely interesting music. Reverb-drenched.

Nice and mellow, great 👍

Completely new to me. Dull in parts in my opinion but overall pretty cool

3.4 New to me and an interesting entry. Wouldnt say its an all-time great or anything like that but I enjoyed it

Loved this – was surprised by the Sixties feel running through this. Who doesn't love a bit of 60s fuzz guitar. Amazing voice - one to revisit.

A very important album for so many reasons. Even without the social message, the music is strong. Very strong. There's a craft at work here as Kiwanuka builds up the songs. At times it sounds like a concept album. Powerful stuff.

Strong soulful vocal and well constructed atmospheres. There are some themes and ideas that get recycled and the interludes and intros can feel redundant. I think there were times were I wanted a stronger committment to new sounds. A lot of the backing vocals especially felt like a crutch. Saying all that, the lyrics are solid, it's definitely enjoyable.

Kiwanuka is one of the best artists of the past decade. Original, soulful, and generally amazing music

This is why I wanted to do this. Finding albums like this. Really good. Uplifting deep lyrics. Great voice

Yes!!!! I never heard of this person or this music and it’s AMAZING. I love everything about it!! It’s such a great blend of different styles, he production quality is great.. added. 5 stars.

Quite pleasant folk-rock, but nothing really grabbed me.

This was a very good album. I don't exactly remember listening to all of the songs but I do remember liking them, so I will give this album a 4. It is probably an 8.5 or a 9/10 though. P.S. This album is #42!!!! fishfishfish

Finally something a little more different and new after a string of kinda meh albums. Strong 70s vibes, very refreshing, can't pinpoint the genre across the whole album. This whole album is a vibe -- maybe I'm just glad to hear something I enjoyed and therefore giving it a 4*

Really enjoyed this album. The music arrangements were full, great lyrics, great voice. I’ll be following this artist.

What a miracle this album is. It feels like it captures the essence of humanity at the moment and distills it into this album. This whole website was worth it just to be introduced to this one album and artist.

An ok album

This was a great record - right from the first play-through it gripped me. Favourite tracks: Rolling, Piano Joint (This Kind Of Love), Living In Denial, Final Days, Solid Ground, Light.

This was an unexpected hit for me. I only vaguely knew of this man prior but this album is POWERFUL!

This has such an old school feel, especially the opening, could have easily been listening to some West African stuff from the 70s…but then it really does get more modern, mainly because you can hear the people that came before Michael coming through his music.

Nice

It's hard to tell what year this is from, and I mean that as a high complement. It defies any categorization by era or genre. Wonderful stuff.

Good stuff

# Playlist track - Rolling # Notes - What a FANTASTIC listen. - Great album, interesting and fun from start to finish. - One of the best I've heard so far. 7/7

chill listen

VERY COOL!

Some good harmonies and songwriting. A chill soul album

Loved it. Unique and fun.

Very listenable but not notable. Hero is my favorite track but this didn't speak to me.

Truest don’t judge a book by its cover so far. Of course I expected this to be a 70’s ethnic funk thing. Then I saw the release date. Then I saw on Spotify this guy has over 5 million followers. Three songs in and I really like the vibe, the voice - very soulful. Listened to this twice and will seek out more from him. I’ve been dazed is a stand out track.

High quality, erinnert etwas an Jimi Hendrix, alles in allem sehr gut

Refreshing, great stuff

Wonderful masterpiece

I’d never heard of this artist and really had no idea what to expect. It’s a pretty good indie rock/folk/pop album.

I liked the first few tracks a lot and thought it was overall a beautiful album. I'm not sure I would like this album everyday, but I liked it today.

This was pretty OK.

Retrô sem ser repetitivo nem datado, clima envolvente e surpreendente.

Really great stuff, I love seeing what modern music has made this list and this is one I had never heard of. My favorite here was probably Hard to Say Goodbye.

ich fand’s ein bissl fad

Just not my type of music. I tried but couldn’t even finish it.

Fun

Really enjoyed this one

Maybe this is just unlucky to be my first of the 1001 albums but I’d just say it was okay. Definitely no bad songs but not much that stands out to me. I’d give it pass marks if not a B grade.

It's heartening to see a modern album remaining faithful to the "album spirit", particularly adhering to the art of song transitions that lifted so many 70s and 80s albums to masterpiece level. This album doesn't quite reach the same level, though it does contain a great array of acoustic riffs, genre distortion, and meaningful lyrics that really make you question the true nature of broader society. The blend of blues, 60s acoustic pop, rock, and lyrics that tackle modern politics and human struggle is also refreshing. Key tracks: You Ain't The Problem, Rolling, Living In Denial, Solid Ground

Beautiful songs of deep pain. Track 1 made the playlist.

you ain’t the problem - bop, 7/10, added to bops rolling- boring i’ve been dazed- boring piano joint intro- interesting piano joint- i like, cool when drums come in, piano is nice, would be fun to learn to sit and play another human being- poem piece living in denial- a little boring, 5/10, has sections but is easy to zone out hero intro- no hero- boring hard to say goodbye- really long intro, fun once it starts, a little repetitive, it’s cute tho final days- trippy intro, very generic interlude- just talking solid ground- potential solo song??? interesting, drums come in at end light- boring overall album- 4/10

This album sounded great. Really enjoyed his voice. The songs were well structured and the album held together well as a piece. This one will be one I come back to.

Loved it!

I liked his voice a lot, and I especially liked the variety of sounds on the album. I think that a few songs could’ve been cut for time, but honestly they were all pretty good.

I was hoping from the opener that this would be pretty funky but a lot of the tracks gave me [dude band from 90s-early 00s that you probably hear on rock radio or something] vibes which I find less interesting.

What can i say... A deserved winner of the mercury prize in 2019. Inflo the producer of Jungle, Sault and Little Sims as a producer and drummer, keys, programming and even harp arrangements amongst other things for this record, together with the bass, percussion, programming of Danger Mouse on this tour de force of an album. Michael Kiwanuka made a british neo-soul classic and nailed it. Everything is stylish on here. The blend of those cool drum grooves and mellow bass parts dotted all across the sonic landscape empowering the sincere tenderness of inflective soul that fills the rest of the landscape, where gospel choiresque get to shine , get muted and transformed into a call with Michael himself. the slight whale of the electric guitar lick here, a string arrangement by cellist and arranger for Wired Strings, Rosie Danvers there to complete the loving soulful sound meandering deeper into a searching man quest for answers of acceptance. Purpose. Love. I could not be helped but be a captivated listener, and be grateful to be humming along to these sentiments i would say his weakest song on the album is "hard to say goodbye" and with a third listen, that was even amazing. The overall pace of the album starts out strong and how the song fuse together like they are another part of one song. this because many songs start off muted and build fuzz to transform to the main body of work and vice versa. it means that in between Rolling and I've Been Dazed i first didn't notice they were two different songs. just brilliant sound engineering. i listened to the vinyl edition, because i have it lying around and sound wise it is superior to youtube rips by a country day, but that is a different discussion.

Best album I’ve listened to all year (so far!)

Please do not pass this up. Its sublime.

Very unique. Great variety of sounds

Overall decent album. Had some songs that I enjoyed but none that took me to the next level. I enjoyed hearing something new and more modern. No songs made it into rotation, though.

I really enjoyed this. I feel like I have heard so much of his music without knowing who it was.

This is fantastic, an easy and smooth listen.

ja sam odusevljena wow super nemam rijeci kolko sam uzivala u ovome albumu !!!! poslusala sam ga 15 puta ukupno besramno

loved it

ocjena i od mene i od hernausa koji je slucajno krivo stisnuo jer je album top

The backing music sounded muddy to me. Very fuzzy.

Beautifully varied

What a surprising musical journey. Beautiful vocals and grandiose music pieces.

Album Nr. 43 Das Album wäre beinahe ein Bestbewertung geworden. Leider flacht es ca. ab der Hälfte bis zum zweiten Drittel ab und wirkt an dieser Stelle dann etwas langweilig.

No 👎

This was alright but I didn't find it as arresting as the earlier Love and Hate album. Will keep listening out for the lad though

Wowee. Loved this. Loved all of it. Great vibes. Will definitely be on my regular listening list. 4.4

Not my genre but an intriguing sound and enjoyable listen.

I liked the various genre influences throughout, and while there weren't any tracks I particularly disliked, the album as a whole was just a little slow for my liking

I’ve Been Dazed before, but this one left me searching for Solid Ground. It was Hard to Say Goodbye when this album was over, but I would be Living In Denial if I didn’t tell you if this didn’t leave me Rolling.

This was "new to me music" and I like it. I will definitely spend some time with this one and look for others from Michael Kiwanuka.

How have I never heard of this guy before? This is genuinely one of the best albums I have ever listened to in my life. It's so calm and soothing, yet the lyrics have just enough politically charged anger to get me excited. Not to mention the diversity in this album. Defining its genre is pretty much impossible because of all the influences it takes and the wide range of instruments used.

This was absolutely delightful to listen to. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

starting with a banger

Ok, yeah! This is what I came here for. I had never heard of this guy, but now I am a fan! My favorite track from the first listen has got to be I’ve Been Dazed. Had to listen to that one again. I will be returning to this artist and checking out his other albums!

It was pretty good.

WOW!

Very chill and quite nice

Best discovery so far. Sounds like Damon Albarn from Blur.

Thoroughly enjoyed this album by Kiwanuka and I may even listen to more. It's upbeat and gave me a good feeling. It's not my favorite nor my go to genre, but it's worth the listen and had a great sound.

This album has a very smooth tone with a melding of light jazz and smooth rock. I also think I hear some background African beats in a fee of the songs, but the jazz overrides. I know the reviews indicate a rock and soul vibe but I don't hear it as much as I hear the soft jazz tones. Very easy to listen and enjoyable all through the song list.

Fantastic, emotional, soulful album

Surprising. I liked it more than I expected

Relaxing and enjoyable. I love his voice.

Lovely sounding, strong songs a real grower.

Highlights: Piano Joint, Another Human Being, Living In Denial, Hero, Final Days, Solid Ground. In a nutshell: a treasure unearthed Holy hell. Michael Kiwanuka, this album is impressive! There is something special here. Modern Northern Soul, indie rock, funk and folk rock all thoughtfully blended. Dramatic yet personal. I was reminded of Donald Glover's "Awaken, My Love!" (released under the name Childish Gambino) and Leon Bridges while listening to Kiwanuka. Maybe Frank Ocean (channelorange era?). Yet Kiwanuka doesn't imitate Glover, Ocean or Bridges. He sounds like himself. I feel that albums need about 4-5 years breathing room before it can be considered as a 1001 Albums inclusion. Hype around release and awards eligibility can hinder good judgement sometimes. At time of publication, this album just snuck in as it was approaching 4.5 years since it's release date. It gets two enthusiastic thumbs up from me. Overall: 8/10

WOW! It's been a *very* long time since I started playing an album and was so immediately and completely subsumed within it. I can't do justice to the feelings I am feeling at this exact moment. I want to practice my drums every day until I am good enough to audition for Michael Kiwanuka's band. I want to sit in the room with him and be a part of the process – to be there first when his angel muses visit him and speak these glorious songs into his head. I want to be this man's friend. This is an incredible album from the first note to the last. My only problem is that it ended and my elation started to fade. Happily, all I have to do is play it again, and it's back. Completely, utterly in love with this.

Wow! Love it!

Lovely album, beautiful lyrics and acoustics.

Liked it alot even though I had never heard of the guy

Hadn't heard of him before. You ain't the problem - funky opening Rolling - Sounds like Cream mixed with Otis Reading. Very nice I've been Dazed - ok Piano joint - very slow, R&B like Another Human Being - experimental Living in Denial - funky R&B Hero - good song. More 'rock' Hard to say goodbye - bit too slow / quiet Final Days - pop Solid Ground - slow Light - similar A shade above 3, so I'll nudge it to 4 stars

Classicism, but it elevates its long-established methods.

Increíble desde la primera nota a la última, no puedo decir que lo he analizado al 100% pero es el primero de todos los que he escuchado que me ha sacado una sonrisa cada canción por su genialidad y su voz. Sin duda un álbum que será recurrente en mis escuchas

Another one I was unaware of. He has a good deep voice.

Nope, not my thing at all.

Amazing!!! Best album so far!!!

Mjög gott stuff ... afar tvö áberandi lög á milli, en bara svona smooth stuff sem passar á dinner playlista.

I listened to this album when it won the Mercury prize, loved it, then immediately forgot about it. Glad to hear reminded. I initially thought it might be 5* worthy, but after another couple of listens I think what holds it back is although almost every song is very, very good, there are no amazing songs that I'd want on constant rotation. 4.5*

It’s ok.

I didn’t expect to like this one, but I enjoyed it. R&B kind of vibe throughout, ranging several genres. A few songs stand out as different; see “Living in Denial”, almost similar to Pond or Crumb. Almost every song has a part that gets stuck in your head. I loved this album.

Really enjoyed this one.

I enjoyed this quite a bit.

Modern soul for the soul. KIWANUKA is a stunningly beautiful album that is able to draw on it's inspirations without feeling derivative or stale. It is not only inventive, but flows incredibly well. God, what an incredible piece of work this is. It's albums like KIWANUKA which reminds me that music is art, and i guess that makes Michael Kiwanuka an artist. Gorgeous.

It's ok. Cool soul style, but none of the authenticity or originality of old school soul. This is kind of a UK Mass Market version from 2019. 2.8.

Every song is solid. The album flows well and has a good variety of moods and styles. There's very few things I would change (like how muted the backing vocals sound on You Ain't The Problem). I'm excited to relisten to this!

Ended up liking this one. Enjoyed the mix of soul music and the influences of his ancestral background. 3.5/5 Might listen again.

Pidän Hero-biisistä kovasti. Kiwanuka onnistuu näissä biiseissä tavoittamaan sen, mitä moni biisintekijä-popmuusikko yrittää tavoitella: kuulostaa rehelliseltä ja taitavalta. Viihdyn mukavasti, riemastumatta mutta tyytyväisenä.

On selvää, että tämä artisti tuntee, kokee ja haltioituu ideoista, erityisesti 70-lukulaisuudesta. Sääli, että hän on melodikkona melko avuton.

Really great psychedelic soul that I should listen way more often than I actually do

A great example of how music today doesn't suck compared to music before. Now that's what I call an album!

Not only one of the best albums of the last few years or the last decade, but one of the best albums ever recorded. The definition of heartfelt and uplifting music under the banner of psychedelic soul. I listened to Kiwanuka countless times.

This is cool to me simply because of the combination of influences Kiwanuka uses. I love records that are difficult to qualify in easy genre terms, and KIWANUKA is certainly one of those.

Really not in my musical wheelhouse. Wasn't bad but not something I would gravitate to.

Forgot to do notes because Calculus, but it was an amazing experience, truly a masterpiece. I felt a warm sensation thru the entire LP. My favorite in this page. Top 5 Final Days Light You Ain't the Problem Piano Joint (This Kind of Love) Solid Ground

This was pretty good. I had enough by the end though.

💖 living in denial 🗣️ 8️⃣

Unique

jävla fint album faktiskt.

So far this is the „youngest“ entries in the list. Really enjoyable album, an interesting mix of classic and current stiles, that works really well. Will definitely listen to this again.

So, new soul / Motown? I haven’t heard of this artist before, but man it goes down smooth, very gentle beats, lovely regardless. 3.6

This is so awesome. Better than the first time I tried to spin it ~4 years ago....I've Been Dazed really kills. My favorite track so far.

Diverse and often beautiful

The comparison to Bill Withers many make is very apt; while Kiwanuka doesn’t have the same power as Withers, the timbre resemblance is spot on. That being said, Michael Kiwanuka brings a lot to the guitar work that you don’t hear in Withers’ tunes. There’s a casual confidence to Kiwanuka that carries throughout the album, and the production compliments his vocals beautifully. Strings come in the beautifully supplement at just the right moments. Hard to Say Goodbye has one of my favorite combinations as background vocals, almost angelic, double a rough distorted guitar the creates a yin-yang juxtaposition exemplifying an artist painting with a full palette. Coming back to the production - every aspect is allowed to breathe and has a nice roundness to it. No component feels sharp or out of place. They all blend and dance in and out of each others’ embraces effortlessly. It makes me think of a dance you see in a movie placed in the Middle Ages where partners change frequently, all moving in concert like a beautiful geometric pattern, and then they land all at once with the partner they began with. Only in Kiwanuka’s music, it seems some partners appear out of thin air, but without surprise. His interludes and intros act as a glue to carry the listener from track to track, guiding you as if you were just learning the courtly dance, but never making you feel unwelcome or out of place.

Loving “Hero”

Love this. The sound is both contemporary (thank you Danger Mouse) and classic. I suspect in another five years I’ll be giving this five stars - let’s see if it holds up as well as it has so far (I think it will). For now a hopeful four. Will gladly listen again and again for now.

This is 5 years old already?! Damn, my life... Anyway, 4.5 🌟

wait—this is the most recent one we’ve seen yet. book was out in 2005 but this album dropped in 2019? does the list of 1001 albums change over time or are there more than 1001 now? i like the album

Really great album to listen to. I'd like to hear more! I've Been Dazed, Hero, Light were the highlights for me. You Ain't The Problem as well.

Interesting. Didn’t dislike it but it was a little boring

Eerste album van de 1001. Kende deze artiest alleen van de wereldhit 'Home Again'. Dit is echter niet representatief voor de songs op dit album. Wat een gevarieerd neo-soul album met duidelijke jaren 70 invloeden. Veel gitaar en funky ritmes. Kom er zeker nog eens bij terug. 3,5/5

Chill

I've heard of this artist. I am actually excited to listen to this. Never heard this album before. i knew his name was familiar. I saw him at a local music fesital, Outside Lands. watched him a bit. I totally dig this record.

Fun album, funky feel. My only gripe is some of the distortion used is a bit overbearing at points. Overall very enjoyable though.

Low key thoughtful

I really liked this, particularly I’ve Been Dazed and Hero. The whole things works really well as a whole; the tracks fit together seamlessly. This almost got my first 5.

Have listened to a bit of this geezer in the past, and by that I mean listened to two songs a lot, including the opening credits song to HBOs Big Little Lies (would recommend the first series, not the second). However there was nothing on this album I recognised, and nothing jumping out at me. A fairly pleasant listen none the less.

Found this a bit boring, but its not bad.

Not an offensive album. Is prefect background music. I liked most of them but this looses a star because hard to say goodbye takes far too long to start with the vocals could have cut 90 seconds from the start of the song and another minute at the end. And that isn't the only one that takes too long to get going

Really flows as an album, all the songs are different but it works soo well. Lovely use of multiple instruments and musical styles just combined together flawlessly. Will listen to more!

This was fully enjoyable, every track. Soulful and jazzy at the same time; a 70's vibe mixed with a modern R&B vocal.

Wow these are some great songs, definitely will be listening to these again

Un poco rollo, pero bueno ... Final Days lo salva.

GOOD ALBUM LISTEN AGAIN

Dig the retro sound.

It's good! I would never listen to this on the regular, but if it showed up in a playlist I'd recognize it as a Very Good Vibe.

I really liked this one. The first half was better than the second part though.

Solid modern soul project, got a little repetitive and long for my taste but it’s a cool album!

Decent mix of rock and soul. I wasn't into the slower songs as much but there are some cool tunes here.

Hot damn, this is the first album on this list I have never heard of and am genuinely shook by how good this is.

3.5 for me this but I've fallen on the side of a 4 because it's a lovely mix of genres while also being catchy

Gem. New to me.

It was okay, but it was not my favorite!

nice easy listening

finally - something new (to me)

Nice!

This is an outstanding album. Not a bad track and the music is just fantastic. No bad song and no bad vibes.

In a word: Enlightening This is one of the best albums this generator has given me. For how original each and every song is, this album is shockingly cohesive, which is a big accomplishment compared to some of the other albums I've reviewed. It was such an out-of-body experience that I wish I could have again for the first time. Utter perfection.

I saw Michael Kiwanuka open for Mumford and Sons in 2013 (a band I grew out of quite quickly). He was the better performer by far. This album had an amazing sense of flow and its seamless weaving of genres was phenomenal. I’m giving it a four right now due to its length, but I could see this album growing on me quite a bit.

groovy first half is very good much darker melodic end top track: ive been dazed and final days

4 stars nice listen, I found it enjoyable and my favorite songs were "You Ain't the Problem" "I've Been Dazed" "Hero" and "Hard to Say Goodbye"

Robin said it was good. Travel day, missed it.

Solid album, if a little safe.

Not my style, but original, special and pure 🙌🏽

Really liked it! May need a couple of relistens to get a handle on it.

Pretty fun album. I'm surprised it was so off of my radar. I'm glad that I listened to it.

I really like this! His voice is beautiful and the music just felt right. I'd have to listen again to be sure if I want to add it to my rotation.

I wasn’t looking forward to this album when I saw it pop up, but boy was I wrong! Soul (is it really,apple?) hasn’t been a genre I’ve really enjoyed much before, and I’m not sure what Kiwanuka does is really Soul but I like it. Bluesy, Jazzy, r&b, 70s groove? His music is smooth, but there is an edge and a drive in some of it than I would expect with this type of music. His voice is smooth and the music is haunting at times. This is one that sent me on a dive to find more of his music and more about him. This album and all of his albums will be in my rotation now!

I am giving this album a good review, but totally bummed there are no weekend albums. I'm going to be 80 by the time this is over and have hearing loss. MK is a great artist and has a unique sound. This music puts you into a hypnotic smooth infectious groove. I will continue to give this one a listen.

Really fresh sound. Modern 60-70’s vibes. I enjoyed the range of emotions from celebratory joy to ominous misfortune. Danger Mouse doesn't miss, the production is excellent.

Okay

Kiwa

Very listenable lovely sound. Only not 5 because nothing quite lives up to cold little heart