KIWANUKA

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lovely lovely lovely

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

Awesome album wish I heard it sooner

Soulful, tuneful…. Great album!

Yowza!! Zoiks!!

Better than I anticipated

Amazing album, with special notes in a new time.

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

Sehr gut auch wenn eigentlich nicht mein Ding

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

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

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

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

Bangin

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

Never heard kiwanuka, awesome!

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

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

60s vibe. Very chill, relaxing.

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

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

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

Soulful, catchy, and moving.

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

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

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

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

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

Soft and easy listening. Nice music

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

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

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

I did enjoy this, though it got a little samey

powerful and modern

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

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

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

Just kinda nice to have on.

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

Started out well but got a bit boring by the end

2,5

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

interesante

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

Not bad. Would revisit.

Chill driving vibes, but songs sound the same

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

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

An enjoyable listen. Probably should have paid more attention.

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

Not bad but nothing special.

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

6/10 cool but not for me (mostly)

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

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

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

Very interesting. Will def get a second listen.

Nice bit of music

Unaufgeregte Hintergrundmusik- passt schon aber whatever

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

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

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

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

giving me james bond soundtrack vibes at times also just jams

Relaxed, soulful singing.

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

結構良かった。何回も聞いたらもっと良さがわかると思う。

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Groovy

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

It's easy listening, smooth

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

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

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

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

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

Хороший, спокойный, приятный альбом.

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

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

I expected a cringe fest but it was decent

A smooth listen on a rainy day

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

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

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

Mediocre.

eh... its so ehhh

Pretty catchy

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

yeah ok

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

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

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

6/10

Slippery hog

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

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

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

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

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

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

3/5 pretty gud

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

liked the music

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

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

Fine.

Inoffensive, but not very good.

Chill vibes, bit creepy

This felt like the soundtrack to a really cool movie

*Very cool guitar tone with Africana

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

5 - AVERAGE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3.5 lowkey pretty good

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

3 - started off strong but started to fade

It was i gight

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

Actually quite nice.

Was alright

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3, tal vez 3.5

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

I enjoyed it.

Listenable.

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

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

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

Great album

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

More Jazz than Rock I think but enjoyable all the same

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

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

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

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

Интересная приятная музыка, но в душу ничего не запало

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

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

Enjoyable, but it got a little samey after awhile.

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

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

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

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

Futuristic soul that sounds like a sexy church.

Was good, few songs that i liked

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

Honestly not too bad.

At one point I thought this was growing on me, and to his credit, Michael Kiwanuka’s voice is gorgeous. But the energy and pace from side A turns into monotony and sluggishness on Side B, such that the last few tracks before Light just blur together. I was hopeful for this but ultimately kinda let down.

Michael Kiwanuka is obviously very talented and I enjoyed this, but hia music doesn’t do anything to massively excite me.

I really enjoyed listening to this album. I like how it can’t really be categorized into one specific genre. The nice instrumentals coupled with his amazing voice were phenomenal.

Odotin jotain aivan muuta. Positiivinen yllätys. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Enjoyed it

!!

Pleasant, though fastforwarded through guitar solos.

boring as shit, guitar work is fine and best part of the project, his voice is nothing tho overall instrumentals sound super campy, like you told a top 30 pop artist to make a soul album. 5/10

Ça part très fort mais c'est long et pas mal tout le temps dans le même mood. 3.49 étoiles

Decent, catchy, but no instant hit

This album sounds like Michael Kiwanuka recorded it inside a warm blanket while nodding slowly and saying “yeah… this grooves.” And honestly? He’s not wrong. KIWANUKA is very lo-fi, like “someone spilled coffee on the mix and decided it was a vibe.” Everything is dusty, soft, and kind of blurry. Sometimes it feels intentional and deep. Other times it feels like the album is afraid of being loud or doing too much. Wake up bro, turn the lights on. BUT. The groove? Yeah, the groove is doing WORK. Basslines are walking confidently, drums are locked in, and even when the songs kind of melt into each other, your head is still bobbing like “ok fine, I’m still here.” It’s perfect background music for staring at the ceiling and thinking you’re the main character. There are really good ideas all over this thing. You can hear moments where the songs could absolutely take off… and then they just kinda don’t. It’s like edging but for music. The vibes are there, the soul is there, but the album refuses to fully commit to going hard. End result: respectable, groovy, tasteful, slightly sleepy. An album you nod at and say “yeah this is good” instead of screaming “THIS IS INSANE.” 6.5/10

Good, but not great.

I’m not a huge fan of his songwriting in this album, I think it’s too slow paced for me. It pairs really well with the instrumentation though. I prob wouldn’t revisit this one but I enjoyed the first time listening experience. Fav track is Hero, least favorite is Rolling.

Very promising start, but kind of fades into samey downtempo forgettable tunes as it goes

First listen

guarde una canción que me hizo entrar medio en transe a pero no me aniquiló igualmente de fondo lo pondría

Wow what a voice! The songs are hit and miss, some of them can get a little dull and boring. But Michael Kiwanuka's voice is incredible on all of them. You Ain't The Problem was really nice, Rolling was good too. Living In Denial, Hero, and Solid Ground were fairly nice. The rest of the album was just ok. Hard to choose between a 2 or a 3, but I think the vocals push it up. Best song: You Ain't The Problem

I hate how I was told how surprisingly good this was by someone on the subreddit. Made my expectations go WAY up, only to be underwhelmed. Not bad but not mind blowing. 3/5

Michaelin ääni on todella pehmeä ja miellyttävä. Musiikki ei oikein pudonnut mulle.

Very good! Doesn't quite fit my taste, so 3, but wow!

This is really good! Soulful but present

This album is decent, but after You Aren't The Problem (which I love) the rest of the record kinda just drifts by. 3.4/5

More like a three and a half

Based off first listen, I would say that I enjoyed myself here. There’s a clear modernity to how Kiwanuka approaches soul and its offshoots. He has a wonderful singing voice and creates a nice record with many catchy tunes. The album was cohesive overall, but it lacked the singularity to place it above being pretty good.

Good overall

I'm not 100% about giving this album 3 stars but it just didn't stick with me as much as the other albums we've listened to so far. I love Kiwanuka's work but I felt this wasn't as strong as his other albums. I think I need more time to dig into it for the album to land with me, so this rating is purely my impression from my first two listens (whilst I was working)!

Nice music. Would listen again and recommend but not a 4.

i feel like this started out strong but didn’t end that way, i still enjoyed it tho

You're the Kinwanuka pal. Sorry. I couldn't resist. Anyway, it's a mix of classic and some modern rock and soul. It's pretty interesting and pleasant to listen to. I'm not hearing the genius that many claimed about this album - but it raises the problem of modern albums. Will this still be here in a few years time? Maybe there needs to be a pause of at least 10 years before an album could be eligible, then we would have a better idea of it's staying power rather than it being fashionable for the moment... which I suspect this album is. Best Tracks: You Ain't The Problem; Rolling; Hero

soulful, nice

There is some really great playing in here and I would have loved the production and the guitar playing if I'd listened to this when it came out. Six years later, I'm a bit past these really rooted sounds, personally. It just didn't really grab my attention all throughout.

This was a very mellow listen. I expected something from the 70s from the cover art and didnt expect something modern at all. I liked it, i am sure multiple listens would increase the score.

Like Seal had a Memphis Soul uncle and I liked it.

I like the vibe of the music. Not something I have ever heard or would normally gravitate towards but overall enjoyable.

Pretty okay R&B album. Works as good background noise, but nothing really stood out to me with this one.

Have the CD so gave it a spin, solid album, probably a 3.5

A record that makes for smooth listening. This did just enough to get over for me. Looking forward to revisiting this.

I like

Leuk albumpje heur

primeiras músicas são legais mas o resto é meio mala

Better than anticipated!!!!!

Clocks is in my too favorites. Very instrumental and beautiful.

Really good album, and I've seen Kiwanuka live and enjoyed the show a lot as well. For some reason I don't _love_ it, but I do like it a lot.

good

Maybe a bit slow for my personal taste, which is a shame because this has gotten good reviews. Everyone else has seemed to get something out of this album which I didn’t. Might be one I have to listen to more often to get. I definitely like Final Days more than when I was first shown that song.

perfectly modern, objectively good music. i had not a clue what exactly i was listening to, but it felt like watching the sun set over a place ive never been before. but i prefer sunrises i think.

i usually love this kind of music but my expectations were let down slightly i fear. i was bored for most of it and i dont really have much else to say

I'm not sure how I feel about his album. Certainly inoffensive, but I'm not sure if I enjoyed it somewhat or if I'm neutral. ⭐⭐⭐?

Not what I’m normally into but it’s a very good album.

Great soul record. Pleasantly surprised to see it was included 8/10 [KEEP]

This is a curious one. Different, can’t make out how to describe it. Hero was a standout track; to me, the rest were meh, but I can kinda see the appeal. (3)

Hm so 3-4? Nichts spannendes aber schön

Although I've heard of this artist, I really didn't know his work. This album didn't do much for me one way or the other.

Interesting

Not exactly my kind of music, but it sure did sound good! You can tell he has a lot of talent.

Nice, but didn't grab me. Deserves more listens.

I overall enjoyed this. Had some really good songs inbetween.

Wow! I’ve never heard of this album but it’s super nice and fun to listen to! I feel like it doesn’t stand out a lot against some other music I love, but it is a very solidly written and sounding album!

The album cover freaked me out a bit, but all of that was put aside once I started listening to the album. Like a lot of soul albums, it is very rich in instrumentation. The album as a whole feels quite cohesive which is quite the surprise of an album from 2019, but wouldn't be that much of a surprise if the album was from the 70s. I quite how it's structured, especially with the intros to the next respective song. Highlight Song/s: "You Ain't The Problem" and "Living In Denial"

Overall a very good album, but not something I would find myself actively listening to. I would put it on in the background to fill in the silence though. 8/10 production, 6/10 personal rating

Geen slechte nummers maar niet mijn smaak

Mal was aktuelles. Vielseitig aber auch schwer greifbar.

Some hypnotic, dreamy retro soul. Some moments hit, but just as many wash over me with little sticking.

This was a very good album. Very relaxing sounds.

Can see why the compilers of the book liked this one because it doesn’t really sound like it was made in 2019. I remember hearing of michael kiwanuka when his first album came out but never listened to much of his stuff. this was pretty cool! I loved hero, solid ground and light. the others washed over me as I making dinner, but congrats to michael on winning the mercury prize!

This album owes a lot to 70s soul and funk, and is certainly fun to listen to, but I don’t think it offers me anything new.

fine

The beat is amazing. The lyrics surprisingly arent too bad. I genuinely enjoyed most of this album.

Gospel tinged rock with a varied sonic palette drawing on industrial techno, IDM, RnB, reggae, psych, and jazz. Rich warm baritone vocals are very inviting and the wealth of live horns and pianos makes for a great lush sound. Some nice guitar tones on a lead/riff, and some acoustic strumming, but it’s not exactly a guitar record. Production is super clean and clear. It opens well but gets pretty slow and trudging in the middle.

This album was a pleasant surprise. Not something I would've chosen to listen to of my own accord, but there were some some gems littered in there and I quite enjoyed this album.

fav tracks: hero / piano joint - intro / living in denial / solid ground couldnt tell that its a 2019 production cool album - liked it- not really exciting

Classified as psychedelic soul, I was hopeful this genre would open some new doors, but nothing I could really latch on to. He has a decent voice, but not a direction I could get excited about.

Very enjoyable album from an artist I’m not familiar with and a genre I generally don’t listen to.

Definitely a 70s soul kind of sound. Enjoyed this.

I didn't even try😭😂

good elevator music

OK - R&B. First time ever hearing this artist. Did don't miss anything

Decent soul album that almost reads as Coldplay-coded, for better and for worse. Album takes a bit to get going and the overly crunchy/compressed production makes the first few tracks a tough listen, but gets more enjoyable as the tone mellows out. Some decent listening but nothing overly remarkable. Top tracks: Piano Joint, Final Days, Solid Ground

so so.

It’s a lovely album. Lots of the songs have a northern soul sound/beat to them which I enjoyed.

Fav song: I’ve Been Dazed Overall: 3.5/5

Pretty chill, nothing really stood out to me, it's kind of boring to listen actively to but it's good background music

I see the vision, just not my cup of tea

Good not great

Favorite songs: Rolling, Hero, Final Days, Light

Nice

This is the first song recommended from the 1001 songs to listen to. Apparently, this album has won an award for the “best rock album. So here is my take: - This sounds more a a jazz/chill type of album, completely unexpected at first listen, expecting to hear rock - instrumentals are WOW just WOW - Lyrics are kinda meh, I was expecting more, only one song got me saying DANG - I saw a message of love, growing, especially after a heartbreak or betrayal, but also about falling in love - again instrumental WOW!!! -definitely more of a chill vibe (almost put me to sleep) - probably will listen in the future again after a heartbreak/ or shitty moment in life Overall,3/5, best song: I’ve been Dazed. That song is just beautiful, the vocals, the overlapping audio, it’s WOW!

Noiceee

just not my style of music but it is objectively good

((listen again at some point)) Best = Hard to say goodbye/Final days Skip = Hero - intro

it’s a kinda vibe?

This just further proves my theory that I can enjoy any type of music if it’s made to sound like rock. I really don’t like soul. I’ve rated butt rock albums higher than some iconic soul records just because the vibe is not for me. But this album has a lot of rock elements and some great guitar work on top of that. I also enjoyed the vocals. I think they fit the instruments much better than usual. In soul, the music is usually just a background for vocals, which I don’t like. Not all songs on this album sound like rock, though, and the other have the more typical minimal soul sound (just with less vocals, I guess), which, again, I don’t really enjoy. But overall, still a decently fun album. 7/10

‘Living in Denial’ my favorite so far. Overall good album, easy to listen to, reminds me of 60s/70s music. Very Bill Withers. I’ve heard ‘Light’ before, maybe in Ted Lasso? Or another TV show.

Not my taste but nice

This album started out very strong for me, new age psych pop but it started to lean into a more soul album after that. The music is good and his vocals are pleasing but it just isn't my favorite style, it didn't really grab my attention. There were about 4 songs that I thought were really good the rest just didn't do it for me. I will say it was good enough to warrant a second listen, but I don't think it is something I would purchase for the collection

It was ok, really nice not quite my cup of tea

Pleasantly surprised, however got a little bored towards the end.

Not my normal style of song, but surprisingly I did enjoy it and wold listen again in the future 👍

Backgroundy. Nice voice but want more blam 6-7

You are first brought in by intense yet electrifying guitar. Then, slowly the mood shifts and it’s as if you’re looking over a horizon. Climbing even higher with each second. But when you about to take flight, you’re pulled back in by more guitar and vocals. The chords in this album are striking and chaotic, but they pave the path to peace. Solid Ground is the highest rated song My personal favorite is Piano Joint.

I appreciate having a newer album here. I had heard some of these songs before and liked them. The full album is less impressive to me. There are a lot of songs that sound the same, it becomes a hodgepodge of noises by the end.

New! Different! Worth a couple of relistens, maybe more. Look extra time with this one.

It was good. Need more listens

The guys got a nice voice and I liked a handful of songs, most of them were just background tier for me though. If there was a 2.5 stars, I'd give it that. Didn't dislike it, there just weren't a lot of songs that I liked, and really none that I liked *a lot*.

Modern record with an old vibe, like a soul record from the 70s

Enjoyable

It’s hard to explain but somehow this album was both completely unexpected and exactly what I expected all at the same time. It was very smooth musically, great lyrics and a fun listen. But also groovier than I expected. Almost had an Afro-disco thing going on. If that’s even a thing.

KIWANUKA is a beautifully crafted album, full of warmth, soul, and rich production, but it is also an album that sometimes feels a little too sculpted for its own good. The retro influences are unmistakable, drawing heavily from classic soul, psych rock, and 70s warmth, and the whole record is wrapped in this hazy, sepia-toned atmosphere that can be incredibly inviting. Kiwanuka’s voice is gorgeous throughout, calm and earthy, with a kind of understated power that never needs to shout to be felt. Tracks like “You Ain’t the Problem” and “Hero” stand out as the album’s strongest moments, where the songwriting cuts through the lush textures and really hits with clarity. There are even flashes of something almost hypnotic, especially when the arrangements get more layered and experimental. But at the same time, the album is long and sometimes drifts into its own moodiness a little too comfortably. Some tracks blur together, not because they are bad, but because they feel more like pieces of a soundscape than individually memorable songs. Overall, it is a solid and often gorgeous listen, even if it occasionally feels weighed down by its own atmosphere. KIWANUKA is impressive in its ambition and its craft, and there is a lot to admire in the richness of the sound, but it is also the kind of record you have to be in the right frame of mind for. When it works, it works beautifully, but it does not always hold its shape.

Very mature, I don’t feel I like it but at least I don’t hate it

I was genuinely surprised by this album. I don’t like soul or R&B as a general rule but something about the instrumentation, vocal delivery, production, and just overall execution struck me. Nothing really stood out to me but it all flowed so well that might have to give those a reluctant 3 even though I saved a lot of the songs. I will probably never listen to any of the songs individually but maybe put this whole album when I am in the mood for something more mellow.

Liked first song

3/5

2,9

I was totally unfamiliar with this artist. I want to like this album more than I do. First, the positives. The band, and Kiwanuka's voice, sound great. The sound of the psychedelic soul instrumentation (especially the guitars and the drums) scratches a real itch for the best of the late 60s/early 70s like the Pretty Things, Can, Funkadelic, etc. On some songs, the experimental approach to pop reminded me of more contemporary artists I have liked quite a bit: TV on the Radio, Solange, Sampha. But there is something about the smooth, frictionless cleanliness to this record that does not hook into me. It feels unremarkable, in that it fits pretty easily among some of the landfill indie rock/pop that was churned out in the 00s and early 10s. Many of the songs on the album sound like commercial ad placement unit shifters; as I listen, I'm already imagining the "poignant moment" in the "prestige drama." Because of this, all the songs hover in a general emotive register that leaves me feeling little desire to "rewatch" the album; none of the songs are stuck in my head, nothing hit me in an "I need to hear that again" way. It sounds like he has been handed the keys to the music industry and has access to great resources: the best professional studios, producers, recording engineers, orchestras, etc. For my taste, this slick, professional sound creates an uncanny contrast with the grit of the rock instrumentation. I would rather hear a garage band version recorded in a basement.

GETTING CAUGHT UP! I'm not trying to be that guy, but the fact that this album is so new really changes things for me. it was a fun album, don't get me wrong, but the fact that it's on here and shit like Emotion by Carly Rae Jepsen (yes I am gay.) didn't make the cut is crazy to me. the newer albums on this list are crazy to me for a lot of reasons. but yeah, this album was fun but I don't feel too strongly about it

This was cool but not super interesting to me. With how few recent albums are in here I could think of plenty better. But I enjoyed myself and I'm glad it's so high rated on here. The along with so many other albums is proof that "music sucks today" is completely false

This was outstanding. I'd heard it around the time it came out but maybe I wasn't in the mood for it at the time. Great instrumentals, amazing vocals.

I never heard of this guy. He has a pleasant voice and knows how to use it. Good music, a bit too psychedelic for my taste sometimes. All in all nothing to special but maybe good for fans of his genre.

A very listenable album that didn't have a lot of stand-out tracks, but also didn't have any bad tracks. I did like the dense instrumentation throughout. 3.5/5

Some cracking tunes on here but not consistent enough to be one I would listen to all the way through.

Pleasing Pleasant. Good a range. enjoyable for sure. But not a top 1000 list. There is SO MUCH strong talent in this segment, which is a tragedy perhaps. Easily Far, FAR better is Gregory Porter (on "Liquid Spirit") - i haven't seen him on this list yet. Listen to that if you want a virtuoso vocalist with astounding warmth who will send shivers. Others cant even touch him . Sorry to all those who gave THIS a 5 - you have more listening to do. Imagine HiFi version of greats like Bill Withers, Donny Hathaway, Ray Charles, Nat King Cole. This is a 4. You can now skip to the 5s.