Five years ago, London record label Communion was presented on a CD compilation that came with the best British monthly music magazine. The label’s most famous representatives at the moment were Mumford & Sons. Neo-folk of the performers included on the compilation was worth my time, but one thing stood out more than the others. Tell Me A Tale by Michael Kiwanuka gave the classic impression the first time I have listened to it. It sounded like a song that will never fade out, so it came as no coincidence that it was placed as the first track on this collection.
Kiwanuka was noticed by many; he was even proclaimed as BBC’s Sound of 2012. New star was born. His debut Home Again, ethereal folk-soul abound in Terry Callier’s style, was received with solid reviews and moderate commercial success. When the time for the follow-up came, Kiwanuka was in problem. The songs he was bringing to the table were rejected by his record label as non-commercial, so he became unsure about the direction of his career. He even became insecure about his own abilities.
In the worst possible moment, Kanye West invited him for a collaboration on his album Yeezus. Michael was free to participate in any way he wants, but writer’s block hit him strong. Avoiding to work on Yeezus led him to the edge of his career. One song and several influential producers brought him back to the center.
Black Man In A White World is the first track that came out as a result with British hip hop producer Dean Josiah Cover (aka InFlo). Another great producer, Brian Burton aka Danger Mouse, was thrilled with the song and he enlisted Kiwanuka as a guy he wants to collaborate with. DangerMouse, InFlo and Kiwanuka found themselves at the same frequency, so they have decided to reset everything and start working on the rest of the material from the scratch. The result is Love & Hate, the album that peaked at the UK Album Chart.
Three of ten songs see Paul Butler as a producer, a guy who produced his whole debut. These tracks resemble acoustic folk-soul of Home Again. The rest of the material, produced by InFlo and Danger Mouse, introduce us to some new dimensions in Kiwanuka’s music.
Cold Little Heart, a ten-minute album opener, has a long, multiple instrumental introduction in style of Pink Floyd’s Shine On You Crazy Diamond. The second reference is an epic soul of Norman Whitfield. Most of the songs on Love & Hate are layered, delicate, warm and fluid. They are all supported by string and background vocals that color the sound. What came as the biggest surprises of the album is Michael’s virtue on electric guitar. Long solo sections are so good that Eddie Hazel from Funkadelic would be proud of them. Kiwanuka mentions Isaac Hayes as his main inspiration.
Black Man In A White World aside, the whole record is melancholic. Kiwanuka’s vocal is not the most impressive vocal you will hear, but he delivers a lot of emotional performances. Talent and soul run through his veins. In this confusing times of information overload, it is easy to understand insecurity of an artist.
