The third Michael Kiwanuka album, simply entitled KIWANUKA came out last Friday following a number of glowing reviews scattering critical rosebuds before it. I've listened through to it a couple of times and though it's not a bad record by any means I wouldn't say it's the masterpiece that it's suggested to be in some quarters either.
That's not to say there isn't plenty here that's worthwhile. Kiwanuka has a rich, soulful voice, he's a talented arranger and there are some strong songs on the record. The difficulty with reviewing an album like this though is the true giants it inevitably stands in the shadows of. Namely Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield and Stevie Wonder and the early Seventies classics they recorded that we all grew up with. That these are prime sources of inspiration for Kiwanuka is beyond reasonable doubt given the briefest of exposures to his work.
So while KIWANUKA often sounds good, it almost always sounds like it's carved in the foothills of What's Going On, Curtis and Innervisions. This is a more nuanced and deeply felt record than anything Lenny Kravitz for example ever recorded but it rarely explores the sublime. I'd give it seven.
No comments:
Post a Comment