2024 Charity Shop Purchases # 41 - Michael Kiwanuka - Home Again
There is a second Energy Orchard album from the Newton Stewart haul which chronologically should have appeared here today. However. I feel it is too close to the previous one so it has been put on hold meantime.
That means a move from Newton Stewart to Stranraer and some more Soul courtesy of Home Again the 2012 debut album of London based singer-songwriter Michael Kiwanuka on Polydor/Communion.
His is a name I was familiar with but the same could not be said of his music. There has been a fair bit of hype and I know some folk whose opinions I respect like his work particularly his third and latest album Kiwanuka.
For 75p I felt that it merited a purchase and a listen. As of now the jury is still out. His music is described as folk rock and soul. It is definitely soul-lite. It is all a bit confusing. On the first listen I was thinking Jack Johnston this time round a little bit of Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson is sneaking it. It is definitely Sunday morning as opposed to Saturday night music
Gareth James of Clash makes comparisons with Bill Withers and calls the album an absolute treat for fans of rootsy vintage soul
Thom Jurek of AllMusic notes that Paul Butler's vintage sounding production felt paint-by-numbers at times and Kiwanuka's lyrical content needed fine- tuning but concludes that it is a promising debut by an artist who will no doubt deliver big if developed properly
After the first listen it was going back. After a second listen I feel it has potential and that it will probably be a keeper.
With that Bill Withers reference I was going to scoff and make a comparison to the hooting of Walter the Pigeon. ANd I would have been wrong. I am impressed!
ReplyDelete