Released November 1, 2019
8 / 10
Favorites
You Ain't The Problem, I've Been Dazed, Piano Joint (This Kind Of Love) - Intro, Hero, Hard To Say Goodbye
Least favorites
Piano Joint (This Kind Of Love), Light
Long gone are the days when Michael Kiwanuka was a struggling session guitarist, debating whether he had what it takes to make it as an artist. Since then, he's put out two albums, toured around the world and worked with music royalty. The same production duo that worked on "Love & Hate" is back; this time around, Danger Mouse and Inflo worked with Kiwanuka on a triumphant resolution to his sophomore album with a wider musical palate than before. The result, "KIWANUKA", is a psychedelic soul album, tinkering with blues, rock and folk sounds. The electric guitar is central to many of the compositions, as one of the numerous components that make for a carefully-crafted sequence of track, meant to be enjoyed as a classic album, from beginning to end.
"KIWANUKA" is quite the cinematic piece, entrenched in motifs and arrangements so expressive they flood the imagination.You Ain't The Problem kicks off the album vigorously, emerging from crowd noises, and spinning a festive rhythm. Fuzzy guitars rise along high-pitched chants that make for an explosive combination. From all this commotion, Kiwanuka's voice pierces through like in an old-school recording, warm and precise. Drums are having a field day; actually, overall, musicians seem to be having a blast playing this. In Kiwanuka style, the track takes its time to pile on elements, from voices to brass and groovy percussions. It's definitely punchy but not rushed. Hard To Say Goodbye is perhaps even more evocative. Its intro lasts nearly 2 minutes out of the 7 min the track spans, with mounting choirs and electric guitar. "Love & Hate" had already shown Kiwanuka's propensity to build up with long airy introductions, and he keeps the tradition going in "KIWANUKA". The music swirls as ripples create an impression of space, as if Kiwanuka himself was in the middle of a huge pond. The chirping bird sounds also help to open up the arrangement as everything just flows right into place, all in due time. The way the electric guitar's roughness was preserved through production is a testament to how much thought was put into contrasting elements for maximal effect as well.
Beyond the landscapes its music paints, "KIWANUKA" grows out of a place of self-doubt and identity crisis that come with Kiwanuka's finding his place as a black man in a white world. The sonically cheerfulYou Ain't The Problem also deals with its share of torment. On the introductory track to the album, Kiwanuka confesses "I lived a dream / I hope to be who I believe in / I used to hate myself", shedding light on his internalization of the outside's rejection of his identity. The singer has long battled with anxiety and self-esteem issues, not estranged from the ongoing trend of tragedies arising from systematic racial bias. Rolling keeps the ball "rolling" with an uptempo sound that remind me of The Black Keys while addressing a somber subject. It's more matter-of-fact than mournful (with right to the point, blunt lyrics like "No tears for the young / A bullet if you run away"), fostering a different kind of tragic. On the other hand, the short Another Human Being blends in harp and keys, with the progressive addition of rotating synth and muffled voices leading up to a speech sample that culminates in a shattering shooting sound. The album is at its most gripping with Hero, a track dedicated to civil rights activist Fred Hampton, a 21 year old Black panther murdered by the police in 1969. The track ponders on how, by acting like villains, part of the police force has turned black people into heroes as they try to defend themselves and fight for their life. It questions how vain it is to be a hero in name when all you can do with that status is die like a hero. Hero is set up to jolt and captivate, with its intro and echoing few seconds; in fact it's nearly calling itself important through the music - and it feels so. As on the rest of the album, Kiwanuka's vocal delivery is such that he sounds desensitized and hurt at the same time. On Hero, the guitar is the one to let loose and scream out - no effusion from Kiwanuka's vocal chords.
Kiwanuka doesn't dwell too long on the causes of his hard-fought impostor syndrome; we're seeing the light at the end of the tunnel from the jump, for a man who chooses to free himself from himself and others. The story of freedom starts with the choice to name the album "KIWANUKA". Born and raised in London as a child to Ugandan parents, Kiwanuka's had to navigate a predominantly white world while juggling his family heritage and trying to fit in. He's often considered going by a different stage name, having been told his name was too complicated for his audience. Naming his third album by his birth name, in bold capital letters, is a form of reclamation of his sense of self and unapologetic choice to be himself and only that. He alludes to the struggle in Hero - Intro, "I won't change my name / No matter what they call me", determined to be himself no matter what. Healing certainly is a motif of the album through and through. I've Been Dazed slows down the momentum gained with the two first tracks, finding comfort in knowing that time heals and finding refuge in some greater force. The music fabric is loosely knit, with the inclusion of more and more colorful thread as the track progresses. I can't help but be reminded of "Cold Little Heart" with the soft humming choir. A gospel flourishes among a savant combination of strings, guitar, synth and calm percussions to create a magical auditory expanse.
Last track Light closes an album that feels much warmer and fuller than his older sister "Love & Hate". The song is a bit overwhelming, with all its celebration and imagery summoned by the sonics brewing into a confusing Frankenstein. Something doesn't click right and while it's comforting to hear Kiwanuka sing "All of my fears are gone", I was hoping for one last hurrah worthy of the sonic universe I've been engulfed in since the first percussions hit onYou Ain't The Problem.
Favorite lyrics
"Am I a hero?
Am I a hero now?
To die a hero
Is all that we know now"
Hero
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