Kiwanuka cover

Kiwanuka

Released

The third album from UK singer/songwriter Michael Kiwanuka was produced by US producer Danger Mouse and the UK’s Inflo, who together have amassed an impressive and influential discography. No doubt there are old school influences at play here — Marvin Gaye, Donny Hathaway, Burt Bacharach for starters — but this is no retro-soul pastiche. Kiwanuka is a highly original and affecting album, moving effortlessly from psychedelic soul to acoustic guitar ballads. Sometimes stark and intimate, at other points rich with orchestration, this is a unique, bold and highly enjoyable album that happily pushed at the boundaries of what soul music could be.

Harold Heath

Recommended by

Suggestions
Intermission: The Best of the Solo Recordings 1990-1997 cover

Intermission: The Best of the Solo Recordings 1990-1997

Grant McLennan, Robert Forster
Kissin’ Time cover

Kissin’ Time

Marianne Faithfull
Victim of Love cover

Victim of Love

Charles Bradley
Nitty Gritty cover

Nitty Gritty

Gladys Knight & the Pips
It’s Our Thing cover

It’s Our Thing

The Isley Brothers
Lady Soul cover

Lady Soul

Aretha Franklin
Mama Rosa cover

Mama Rosa

Brian Blade
Down to Believing cover

Down to Believing

Allison Moorer
Runaway’s Diary cover

Runaway’s Diary

Amy LaVere
Scott 3 cover

Scott 3

Scott Walker
Bluebird cover

Bluebird

Dawn Landes
Wild Wood cover

Wild Wood

Paul Weller