MICHAEL Kiwanuka has a lot to live up to since being named BBC’s Sound Of 2012, but the first album from the British-Ugandan soul singer is a promising debut.
Working alongside Paul Butler from The Bees in Paul’s home studio on the Isle Of Wight, it’s a partnership that has taken Michael’s melodies, lyrics and effortless voice and built them into timeless and rootsy folk-inflected modern soul recordings.
Borrowing musicians on the Isle where necessary, the majority of the instrumentation on the record is shared between Michael and Paul.
He may only be in his mid-20s, but his comforting yet distinctive voice sounds world-weary and lends to his appeal. On the strength of Home Again, Kiwanuka’s Bournemouth show at the Old Fire Station on May 13 will be a treat.
A stunning album, proving great music can be made with amazing talent and without any fancy production values or auto-tune.
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