KIWANUKA

Definitely enjoyed this

Cool record. It might be a five, hard to say, decently compelling on first listen, but I was interrupted a bit. Never heard it before.

I've never heard of this artist before. It's one of the best albums I've listened to so far on this list! 4/5

Dei play no álbum sem saber o que esperar. Começou dançante alto astral e terminou intimista e melancólico, mas estranhamente combinaram. Amei o contrabaixo marcado nas primeiras músicas.

Love this. Still prefer Love And Hate. (definitely nostalgia) Fav Track: Piano Joint (This Kind of Love) Honorable Mentions: You Aint The Problem, Hero, & Light

Really enjoyed the back end

A really well-balanced album with well-constructed songs. I'll come back to this one.

I missed this one completely despite typically being the kind of person who pays attention to the Mercury. Must’ve been distracted by something in 2020. Anyway this was infectious from the first minute. The reliance on distortion got a bit wearing for me but I loved this regardless.

Enjoyed it nice relaxing vibe

Very good, atmospheric. Definitely will listen to this more. No favorite songs in particular. The whole album should be listened as a whole I think

Groovy, bluesy, rootsy. Just damn good music. I wa familiar with their Love and Hate album, but not this one. Glad to get some new music in my rotation.

Having never heard of Michael Kiwanuka before listening to this album, I wasn't sure what to expect, but man did I enjoy the hell out of this record. He blends together the sounds of an indie singer-songwriter, soul, and some smooth jazz as well seamlessly. It was a rainy day when I listened to this, and this album provided a pitch-perfect, laid-back soundtrack to stay inside and relax. I'll definitely be revisiting this artist more in the future - the vibes are simply too immaculate not to. Notable Tracks: - You Ain't The Problem - I've Been Dazed - Living In Denial - Hero - Hard To Say Goodbye - Final Days 8/10

Fun and interesting. Classic rock elements that remind me of bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd and Led Zeppelin

I really wish I was able to put a bit more attention towards this album today. I liked it as easy listening while working but I can tell I missed something. Either way, this is a very tight piece of music and one of the more modern ones I have gotten to off this list. It feels timeless in its organic instrumentation and definitely one I will come back to with the lyrics up!

Love it!

Really interesting and beautiful. Love when this shows me albums I really wouldn’t have heard of.

Great vibe. Will revisit.

Never heared of him before. Sounds very much like 60´s to me. I like the atmospheric, dark sound of his voice with orchestra and distorted guitar. Surprisingly this one was growing on me with every listen from background music to a very solid album. Favourite: "You Ain´t The Problem", "Living In Denail", "Hero", "Rolling", "Final Days" 3,5

Nice change of pace from all the old music but also sad reminder of how this list goes to like 2021 and is still so lacking

Definitely one of the most surprising albums we've had so far; hadn't ever heard of it and it ended up being great. Loved the mix of genres and sounds. Glad this is on the list

I think i’ll need a second listen for full appreciation, but I really liked what I heard.

pas mal pour le boulot 4/5

What a pleasant surprise!! I hadn’t heard of this artist before and didn’t really know what to expect, but I enjoyed the whole album.

Dig it - like a mix of badbadnotgood and Charles Bradley.

Really enjoy the old school sounds deployed on modern stylings. Also, knew "Hero" from the radio but never understood who did it until now, so that's nice.

I'm pretty sure I haven't heard anything from this album, or from Michael Kiwanuka for that matter, so as far I know this is all new to me. And I really enjoyed the songs and the album, a very pleasant surprise. There are shades of Ollabelle and maybe also Ben Harper, but with a much more groove-focused style, and it's really fun that he arranged a concept-style album in 2019. I always find it a fun challenge to try to guess which side of the pond some English-language singers are from, and I'll admit I didn't do a very good job with Michael Kiwanuka. His style and voice seemed more American to me, and the video for "Hero" certainly seemed to be very American-oriented), but the video for "You Ain't the Problem" (one of my favorite songs on the album, along with "Hero") seemed much more British than American, and I eventually had to cheat and read in Wikipedia that he's English. Not that there's anything wrong with that. :) And very cool to find out he appeared (as himself) in the film "Yesterday"!

I'm digging the mid-70s vibe to it--surprised this is from 2019! Kiwanuka's voice is rich and heartfelt. Beautiful album.

A good album, took me a little by surprise. A solid 4

Expansive soul

My 1st album. Really like it

This guy was new to me. I liked what I heard and will explore more!

I love me some Michael Kiwanuka. Most of his albums, including this one, are so inviting and easy to listen to. His voice is magnificent and the guitar work is just as good.

Not a bad album. Nice tunes.

Også megachill album

Never heard of him, but this was really good. Kind of mellow, but upbeat.

Extremely creative and I like how the songs seem to flow together.

Credevo fosse musica etno africana anni 80. Ho ricevuto il suggerimento di ascoltarlo e devo dire che ne è valsa la pena, proprio caruccio.

Ma che figooooo

Really good. Falls off a bit towards the end but I loved it

Great album. Would listen to again

I think this is a really great album, and I almost want to give it a 4.5, but I feel I have to round down, because it doesn't do anything revolutionary to me. It's just really solid. I like his voice, and I really like the smoothness of his songwriting. However, once it's over, there isn't really any one song I can recall. I will be listening to more of his work, though, because I could see him becoming a favorite.

The voice alone deserves some recognition, but then you add in some very creative drums and bass music. The transcendent sound is both big and controlled. This is really a treat to listen to and the key being that the entire album is conceptual and a delight to listen to in full.

An excellent listen that I see myself falling in love with more each listen.

Wow, what an interesting find. Mixes everything from Radiohead to Stevie Wonder with some crunchy Hendrix guitars and lovely soul vocals. A great musical rollercoaster, one of the best post-2010 picks on this list.

This is pretty good, it’s like real down to earth stuff. It’s got a 70s look to the album cover and the music isn’t too far off in some ways but it just feels different. Not what I expected. Soulful and engaging, but has some mellower parts that almost feel like imitating dance/electronic… idk, I think I need more concentrated listens when I am actually awake lol. Anyway, liked a lot of stuff on this.

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.

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.

Surprisingly enjoyable. The first track really kicks.

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

dat bass

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

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

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.

"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.

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.

nice

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

Still listening

Excellent singer/ song writer

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

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

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.

Best Rolling Stones album!

Poppy folky, good stuff

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.

beautiful, haunting, deep

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

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

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

Nice to do some work to.

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

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.

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.

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.

Hope!! :) 4.5

Enjoyed this chill, uplifting album

New soul! Really like this album.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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*

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 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

Good stuff

VERY COOL!

Some good harmonies and songwriting. A chill soul album

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.

Refreshing, great stuff

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.

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

Fun

Really enjoyed this one

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.

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.

Very unique. Great variety of sounds

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

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.

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

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.

It was pretty good.

Very chill and quite nice

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.

Surprising. I liked it more than I expected

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

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.

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

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*

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.

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.

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

💖 living in denial 🗣️ 8️⃣

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

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.

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.

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.

GOOD ALBUM LISTEN AGAIN

Dig the retro sound.

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

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.

finally - something new (to me)

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"

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

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

Nice and chill album

favourite song: final days really good, kept my attention throughout and just good!

Really solid album. Before listening to this again, I was set on Kiwanuka’s 2016 album Love & Hate as his best offering, but now I am not so sure as this one is more mature and subtle. Overall, it is a soulful celebration of 70s sounds, with long David Gilmour-esque guitar outros on many songs, catchy vocal melodies (his voice is so smooth and yet has this raspiness to jt that is much welcome), and solid compositions that reward multiple listens. This album manages to be accessible and easy to listen to without being generic. If you like this album and artist, check out Skinshape.

I really liked it! I knew his voice sounded familiar.

Nice surprise for album #2. I can see this getting some serious rotation as some chill but rocking background. Highlights are Rolling > Dazed, Hero, and Solid Ground.

Good background music while working. Somewhat funk/folk throwback vibe.

Nunca tinha ouvido falar desse cara, muito bom!

Definitely not my usual style, but I found it oddly soothing and chill. Not bad at all.

Calm. Relax. Chill out. Madcool 2024.

Quite enjoyed this one. Everything about the album feels very deliberate, with classic elements of rock getting a soulful seasoning.

thoroughly enjoyed this album, a very diverse sound with some great songs sprinkled in. this guy is a good song writer and has a great voice

Rolling and Solid Ground are standouts.

Cool piano - great sound

you aint the problem

A nice album overall. Themes were consistent and I liked the switch halfway through. No weak songs really. Musically really good all the way through. The different vocals were well used and I like the instruments. Solid 7/10

Dropping me into the deep end on the second day with an artist I've never heard of, lol. To make sure I can devote my attention to these album listens, I listen as I do my hour of walking for exercise. Regardless of how I feel about the album, I really like Kiwanuka's voice. He reminds me a lot of the '60s and '70s folk albums my Dad played for me; the focus here is on his voice as an instrument. There's a mix of social conscious songs - Britain does not have the same type of racism as the USA does, but it does have its own - and problems in love songs. I didn't actively dislike any songs, but I did enjoy mostly the same songs as the higher-played songs (at as Spotify reported). I might only come back to relisten to a few songs, but I enjoyed listening to the album and have no regrets spending the time with it.

Piano joint, piano joint, piano joint... I usually go for anything with piano, but this is something else. "Looking out for something new It's the right time to give in The right time to lose To begin again Maybe win again All I want is to talk to you Turn me onto something true"

Pretty good. Will prob listen again

i love the low sounds and undertones .also the voice is top notch and i could maybe find myself in future listening to him more .Album is maybe a 7/10 or maybe I did not appreciate it enough

Hey, I have this one at home! Mostly bought it on the strength of the "Rolling" single, a stellar track with a killer groove and killer vocal line, but I would lie if I said I spent much time with the whole album since 2019. So I was about to dismiss this record as maybe slightly overrated for such a list--even if it's pretty good. But then I saw its global score on this app, 3.78! That's really a good one for such a recent record. People using the app really seem to enjoy this LP, and a lot of them point out they only have discovered Michael Kiwanuka thanks to this 1001 albums project. Made me reconsider the whole thing a little, I have to say. Revisiting this LP was therefore pretty nice. It's got that "seventies" feel I really like. Actually such sounds and types of songwriting are basically timeless. The first three tracks are great, but most of the ballads on side two are also quite impressive... So yeah, why shouldn't I include this record in my list of keepers? The thing is, there are around 50 albums released in 2019 that I find at least equally interesting or even *better* than this album. And there are at least seven albums not mentioned in the 1001 albums book, released in that same year, that absolutely deserve the spot currently taken by Michael Kiwanuka--albums by Lana Del Rey, Fontaines D.C, Billie Eilish, Big Thief (not for one, but for *two* albums), Tyler The Creator and Weyes Blood. Plus *Ghosteen*, by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, already mentioned in the book, if I'm not mistaken (as is Little Simz' *Grey Area*, whose production team was also involved to *Kiwanuka*). All those records are excellent, and it is my staunch belief that most of them will be fondly remembered in the decades to come--because the fanbase of those artists has grown exponentially in the last years or so. 2019 was such a good year for music, and it saw the rise of so many phenomenal artists. You'd have to go back to late sixties, the late seventies, or the early nineties to witness similar sudden surges in the quality level of the music released through albums... Under that light, I think it's better to err on the side of caution and place this LP in my "waiting list". I'll probably revisit it again. But chances are that will revisit it *less* than all the albums I've just mentioned, as good as it is... 3.5/5 for the purposes of this list of "essential albums" (rounded up to 4). Which translates to a 8.5/10 grade for more general purposes. Number of albums left to review: 331 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 300 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 163 (including this one, in spite of a grade that generally puts an album in the list of direct "keepers"--we might need a little time to see how this record holds up in the future) Albums from the list I won't include in mine (many other ones are more important to me): 215.

pretty cool, chill album. nice retro soul sound and feel, with some tinges of psych. was a nice pleasant album to have on, although i don't think it was particularly mind blowing.

Excellent music - not really my style but enjoyed it just the same!

Een lekker potje retro klinkende soul, het is een beetje of de tijd een kleine 50 jaar stil heeft gestaan, maar er is niemand die dat erg vindt.

Het is vakantie. Dus even wat minder 1001 luisteren. Wat als het gezin meeluistert, is er altijd wel iemand met flink commentaar. Maar deze keer geen enkele wanklank uit het gezin. Er wordt zelfs wat mee geneuried met de soms catchy meloodietjes. Als je iedereen blij kan maken in dit gezin, heb je iets moois gemaakt.

Warm en sfeervol zijn de twee woorden waarmee ik dit zou typeren. Er zit geen nummer uptempo in volgens mij, iets waar ik normaal wel naar snak, maar dat Kiwanuka simpelweg niet nodig heeft. De muziek combineert soul, jazz en singer-songwritermuziek en maakt van ietwat gedateerde muziek iets compleet eigentijds en tijdloos. Ik kende zoals gewoonlijk alleen de hitjes (Home Again en Cold Little Heart), die hier dus niet op staan, en toch had ik het idee dat alles zowel herkenbaar als nieuw was. Prachtig. Heel fijn album.

This is 100% new to me, and a very nice find. I'm not sure how to classifty it, but it certainly has groove. Generally smooth sound, but not bland. I'll need to listen to this a few more times, but it's a solid 4. 4/5

Loved it. I really like the singer-song writer influenced, fused with R&B. The instrumentals for the intros built up and flowed nicely into each song. This is a really unique record for 2019. Super stoked on this one.

Had a lovely time listening, the biggest “cozy yet productive Sunday afternoon” energy for me

This is gooooorgeous, super sensitive and feeling. No real standout tracks because it flows so well, but I really appreciated the occasional intro track thrown in. No detail went untouched but it's still so relaxed sounding, sometimes you just know something's authentic when you hear it and this totallly is.

Very nice.

A great album and a great listening experience. The tracks all flow into eachother smoothly and cleverly despite the ever switching genre. Top tracks:. 'You Ain't the Problem' 'Piano Joint (This Kind of Love)' 'Living in Denial' 'Hero' An excellent modern find from the list and a very confident self titled album.

Pensei que seria um álbum esquecivel, mas não! Ótimo som, impactando e divertido!

Kinda lioed it

fun.

O disco não me pegou muito, até o final. Ali ele ganhou méritos. As últimas 3 músicas são absurdamente boas e embora tenha uma vibe retrô, são músicas extremamente modernas. Um baita disco contemporâneo, feliz de ter descoberto esse artista.

Beautiful!

Kinda cool retro vibes and sounds. I didn’t really find this super unique or original but kind of a nice background vibes record. Probably a 3 in real life but 3.5-4 in this context. Kind of forgettable and probably won’t come back to it.

I liked the music and melody a lot. I usually like very general lyrics because you can apply them to anything but I was left wanting more in that department

3.5/5

Great album and real music. Think fleet foxes meets indie hendrix. At parts you'll feel like you're in a bond movie and it be the beginning, middle or end depending on the song.

Was pretty alright overall. Vibed to it while playing a game. A light 4/5

Loved it. Can understand the Curtis Mayfield comparisons but this side steps into ambient, hypnotic instrumentals, 60s soul, Radiohead and more.

Nice voice!

This album was really really good. I am usually not a fan of the newer albums that make their way on here. This one was worth the listen for sure. So groovy and unique. Great album!

7/10. It's very calm, poor choice to listen to after lunch because it put me to sleep a bit, but it was fairly beautiful when I actually managed to focus on it.

Another great album. Good mix of alternative rock with soulful vocals and strong flow between tracks. My main complaint is that there wasn’t a very big range of emotion or sound covered, but it was still very good. 8/10

4/5 Especially like the first half of the album!

Норм

I’ve never heard of this guy before. The music has very 70s vibes. Easy to listen to and chill. The tracks are fine but this really shines as a complete album, the songs flow into each other. Adding this to my playlists. Listens: 3 Fave Track: Solid Ground Rating: 4

Really good stuff

I really liked it. It’s crazy how it’s made this decade but has a 70s type of feel.

Zo'n ontzettend krachtige stem, hypnotiserend gewoon.

The first song is quite impressive, altough the rest of the album is a bit generic. However, it's a fascinating album, and it's always nice to see more modern stuff on the 1001 list since it typically (not always) gives me some hope that despite all the music already produced, there is always space for creativity and innovation.

I thought this was actually an awesome album. He has a great voice and vibe.

Excellent album. Each song is very enjoyable. I didn't know the artist, a nice discovery.

Very nice! A breath of fresh air!

Soulful and psychedelic. I like it

I was excited to hear this after scanning through a few reviews: something a bit fresh and contemporary. But, then listening it never really grabbed me. All good but nothing outstanding.

Really interesting listen. I loved the bass and unique sounds throughout

Enjoyable listen, nice mix of styles

A really great R&B album.

R&B moderno. Me ha gustado. Un 4.

Lovely voice, nice melodic sound

- Final Days is haunting and beautiful - good vibes, enjoyed the listen

A quality experience

Pretty great. Atmospheric, ambitious, warm, and skilfully executed. The album relies more on mood than anything else - but in doing so, plays to its strengths. A minor criticism - although I am fine with the production, some of the choices and instrumentation feels a little like grave robbing. I'm sure Michael Kiwanuka would say his sound is paying homage to his forebears - or perhaps his music is even 'in conversation' with the past? - but as comfortable and redolent as it can be, this choice slightly feels like an artist not entirely at ease with the tools of their own time and place. Those guitars sounded like the future when the Isley Brothers used them, once upon a time.

Really liked this and had no clue it existed. For sure lives in the homage territory, but that's where the sweet $$$ is these days. Or not. I just assume so because otherwise I can't explain Greta Van Fleet.

good

4/5 Very good album. Best track: Piano Joint (This Kind of Love)

Wow I loved this. Beautiful voice and really dug the minimalistic instrumentals that just gave this whole album a really cozy vibe

This was a nice lil surprise. Very pleasant from beginning to end.

An album I‘ve listened to several times in the past, really like Kiwanukas Style, I feel like the album has a recognizable character

Awesome! „You ain’t the problem“ is the most fun song I‘ve heard in a while.

A beautiful album for a morning listen. Almost 5*.

P to the leasant.

007 will return

Много стиля и интересных решений

chill mood mostly, not too bad actually

Very nice

I want to revisit this again and again.

This was a breath of fresh air compared to some of the last few albums I’ve listened to on this journey. When I started on this path, I was hoping for stuff like this. My musical taste has always been pretty narrow and after ten albums listened, this was the first that I liked that I hadn’t heard before. It won’t be something I listen to frequently but I would absolutely listen to it again.

Interesting new find

Favorite tracks: You Ain’t The Problem, Rolling, Piano Joint, Living In Denial, Hero, Hard To Say Goodbye, Light Least favorite track: Another Human Being 8.5/10

Good

Very cool vibes

Enjoyed this album. Great voice!

I didn't think I would like this at first but it really grew on me. Had some moments where he sounded a lot like Ben Harper, but it was still very inventive and unique. Nice find.

This my shit right here! Some blues soul rock done lo fi!

Great album. Nice continuity.

A good album, and generally what i’d expect from a Kiwanuka album. Light is a standout for me.

I was already a fan, Hero and Final Days go hard. Amazing use of string sections.

Not what I was expecting from the album cover. To prove like books you can't judge an album by its cover

Una agradable sorpresa, le daré más escuchas si o si

Well composed 👏🏽

Sounds like Jimi Hendrix if he did soul

By the end I’m fucking digging it

Good vibes

not exactly my vibe but very high quality album

Wow this is really nice, perhaps not ground breaking but full of characer, emotion and groove. I am rounding uo to 4

Oh fuck yes

Good freaking stuff. Bluesy guitar, cool lyrics, good riffs.

Not as good as Love & Hate. Still very good.

Damn good album.

Excellent - his voice reminds me of Seal. Great melodies.

Beautiful album

I liked it! Smooth. Poignant.

Great album from start to finish. Loved it despite it being more modern. Track 1 (You Ain't the Problem): Tons of energy. If I was a dancer, I could/would 100% dance to it. Track 2 (Rolling): Still good, but a definite let down from Track 1. Track 3 (I've Been Dazed): Love it. His tone of voice sounds like Eric Clapton. Track 4 (Piano Joint (This Kind of Love)(Intro)): Not really into it. Track 5 (Piano Joint (This Kind of Love)): I like this piano song much more. I actually really like this song. I'm clearly not a very good reviewer, but this song is amazing. I guess it makes sense why I liked it better than Track 4. Track 4 was literally just the intro. Track 6 (Another Human Being): Not a huge fan at the beginning. Okay, wasn't super excited about the whole thing. Track 7 (Living in Denial): This sounds like a song you'd hear in an ad or something. I like it. Track 8 (Hero (Intro)): I like it. Much better than the other intro song. Track 9 (Hero): Starts out much the same way as the intro song. Looking for it to build and get exciting. Great song. 10/10. Track 10 (Hard to Say Goodbye): Ugh, this one is so much slower after Track 9. I hope it picks up. It did pick up, but it's too long. Not my favorite. Track 11 (Final Days): Way better than the last song. I liked it. Toe tapper for sure. Track 12 (Interlude (Loving the People)): We're about halfway through it, and I'm not really loving it. Track 13 (Solid Ground): Meh. Yeah, now it's good. The piano is getting heavier, the singing louder. It's nearly over, but it's worth listening to just for this part. Track 14 (Light): It was pretty good. Not much to write home about. Track 9 (Hero) was my absolute favorite song.

starts great, doesnt hit me towards the back half of the album

Great

Afrobeat inspired soft rock. Overall ok. Some really good songs and some misses. Sometimes to artsy for its own good. Solid 4/5 tho. 4 songs into playlist.

A modern combination of soul and neo-psychedelia, nostalgic on 70s music with a lofi production and strong grooviness. Lots of characteristics, like fuzzy chamber vocals (almost like Coldplay), incoherent high-tone back vocals, chillwave hazy production sound, and atmospheric whimsical effects take from contemporaries like MGMT and King Gizzard. Lovely interludes and preludes along with smooth meaningful transitions add to the consistent vibe. A little too long with quite a few dull moments, but it's pretty excellent as a whole. Favorites: You Ain't the Problem, Hero

Great record

Broad appeal this one, both immediate and interesting. Lots of the old, 70s soul, Marvin Gaye, while still sounding new. It's a pop record for sure and it's good pop. I enjoyed it when it came out. Not been back to it much though possibly only because it's hard to remember great albums when I have no physical object to flick through and remind me. Maybe it sags a little in the middle and gets a bit samey, but a real strong finish from Hard to Say Goodbye onwards grabs it a worthy 4.

Partly heard before Saved 9/14 Top track: Solid Ground

Surprisingly good!

Good

This was great. I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I can't explain why, I just dug it.

This was really pleasant, and I will definitely be listening to it again! I wasn't sure what to expect going in, and I'm not entirely sure what I encountered going through, but I look forward to the next visit.

While listening to the first half of this album, I was pretty excited to dole out my first 5 on here; I loved it. Then the second half slowed down into a soul album which, while still good with plenty to recommend it, wasn't nearly as remarkable. Quality sound throughout, and overall still really good.

Awesome vibe. Makes sense when you read about is musical influences and journey (from Radiohead to Otis Redding).

Never heard of the artist before I listened the other day. I enjoyed the album makes me want to listen to more of their music

A great album of modern soul. I feel like Kiwanuka leans a little more modern on this album when compared to Love & Hate. All the instrumentation is fantastic, but as I listen I often find myself focused on the strings. The arrangements are lush but not overwhelming.

Gives me hope for new music. Very chill and enjoyable

Calm and complex

Solid album - great background listening and some of the tracks are starting to grow on me. Probably not going to be incorporated into heavy rotation on my playlists, but definitely something to listen to on a regular cadence.

If I could give half stars then this would be a 4 1/2 star review because it's an ALMOST a perfect soul album. It feels both reminiscent and nostalgic. It gives a statement of empowerment while also reflective of the long journey that people of color have had to face (and continue to face).

R&B moderno. Me ha gustado. Un 4. Tralarí que te vi.