Michael Kiwanuka - Home Again
- Written by Rosie Duffield
In recent years, being named the BBC Sound of 2012 winner has had mixed results; Adele, Jessie J and Ellie Goulding finding success while The Bravery and Mika’s rise to fame fizzled out soon afterwards. With that in mind, Michael Kiwanuka must be wondering which side of the coin his career will fall on.
His debut album Home Again is a good indicator of where his fate lies. It’s a collection of soulful jazz-tinged folk songs held together by Kiwanuka’s expressive voice – a voice that belies his 24 years. Already drawing comparisons to Bill Withers and Otis Redding, it’s not hard to see the similarities; his vocal is smooth and rich – and it oozes soul.
You only need to listen to the title track and first single he released to see (or rather hear) this. But there’s also the spiritual soul-searching in ‘I Won’t Lie’, with its simple composition; and the stripped back ‘Worry Walks Beside Me’ where Kiwanuka’s voice shines through.
His sound is undoubtedly retro; no more can this be found on tracks like ‘I’ll Get Along’ and ‘Tell Me A Tale’, both of which wouldn’t seem out of place on the soundtrack to a ‘70s American sitcom what with the jazzy flute riffs and jaunty keyboards. Despite these two tracks lifting the mood of the album, the rest of it shows Kiwanuka with a rather unsettled disposition. At times the songs verge on gospel, and there’s a real feeling of him not quite at peace with himself.
Overall Home Again is a pleasant listen; the song arrangements are good, the lyrics meaningful - and Kiwanuka’s voice is outstanding. But it’s hard not to feel that there could have been more. Yes, it sounds like something from the ‘70s, yes it has mass appeal. What would have been nice is a more modern twist on this soul sound, though. Nevertheless, as a debut, Michael Kiwanuka has scored well with Home Again, and if this is something he can build on in his career, it looks like he’ll do well – and perhaps find some of that peace he’s looking for.