MICHAEL KIWANUKA: Love & Hate (OTHERS): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

"Home Again" in 2012 brought Michael Kiwanuka from obscurity into the light. Not without difficulties. Because Michael Kiwanuka is an eternal stressed and this sudden notoriety was difficult to assume. Lacking confidence since his younger years, too often listening to bad tongues pushing him to give up, he didn't tremble when it came to release this catartic "Love & Hate".

And we can only be delighted because this album is full of musical nuggets both current and timeless. The first track 'Cold Little Heart' is obviously part of it, a song that the fans of the series "Big Little Lies" on HBO will have already heard since it is the generic of it. This is not really a heresy because this 10 minutes song has a haunting introduction stretching over 5 minutes with a soaring guitar solo on a background of strings that could have appeared on an Ennio Morriconne album. It is thus in its middle that it really starts with the arrival of the so deep and warm voice of Michael Kiwanuka who is going to expose us in a very abstract way his doubts and his difficulties to overcome the adversity. We find here all the 70's influences of this artist, with many organic sounds, omnipresent old-fashioned choirs which sometimes melt in the keyboard layers, the arrangements all in delicacy without the whole sounding dated.

'Black Man in a White World' which follows is more energetic with its claps and its additions of instruments and flourishes drawn from the soul and funk during its progress. Contrary to what the title of the song might suggest, there is no question of polemics here. Michael Kiwanuka is just being factual, saying that he is simply part of a minority and that this belonging is sometimes complicated to make understand to those who are not part of it. In addition, he has for a long time had an almost exclusively white audience at his concerts.

Third success, and not the least, 'Love & Hate', the eponymous title of the album slipped in its middle, based on endlessly repeated choruses which remain very long in the memories. We appreciate the strings that fill the track with positive waves and as usual all these little sounds (cymbals, keyboards) that make the richness of this music from another time.

We could deconstruct each track of this album whose richness is revealed with the listening. Everything is interesting, from the sounds to the constructions, from the introductions to the conclusions. Michael Kiwanuka questions himself, faces his demons but he doesn't feel sorry for himself, allowing "Love & Hate" not to suffocate but on the contrary to radiate. One suspects that he has not yet given everything and that he knows he has a long way to go. See you in 2019 with the album "Kiwanuka" to talk about it again... - Official website

MICHAEL KIWANUKA

LOVE & HATE

POLYDOR

OTHERS