About

A TAV Curator's Pick.

Few records make such an instant impression as Home Again, the debut album by Michael Kiwanuka, winner of the prestigious BBC Sound of 2012 prize. Immersing the listener in a sound that is both modern and at the same time as familiar as the classics, it manages to strike the balance between being contemporary and somehow utterly timeless. For Kiwanuka, key musical touchstones include Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Shuggie Otis, Roberta Flack’s First Take, Bill Withers’ Live At Carnegie Hall and D’Angelo’s modern soul landmark Voodoo.

Born in Muswell Hill to Ugandan émigré parents, Kiwanuka was brought up in a home from which music was largely absent, with his first introduction to rock (Nirvana, Radiohead) arriving at the same time as he began to hang with the skater kids in the north London suburb during his early teenage years. Later coming across a soul compilation album given away with a music monthly, he was enthralled by the sound of Otis Redding’s studio talkback discussions with his engineer while recording an outtake version of "(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay." From this point on, he resolved to make music that sounded raw and authentic.

Though deeply into soul and jazz, he found real inspiration in the cross-pollination of the two styles with folk in the music of Bill Withers. “Bill Withers was very rootsy and earthy,” he points out, “but people branded him as a soul singer. To me, he was a folk artist. So that encouraged me to keep going, ‘cause I didn’t know where I would fit in as a black guy with an acoustic guitar.”

While performing on the acoustic circuit around London, Kiwanuka quickly attracted interest and made connections, not least with his current manager who in turn garnered the attention of Communion Records, the label that in 2011 released the singer’s first two acclaimed EPs, Tell Me A Tale and I’m Getting Ready. Both of these EPs, as with Home Again, were produced by Paul Butler (The Bees) in his vintage equipment-stuffed basement studio at his house in Ventnor on the Isle Of Wight. Together the pair played almost every instrument to be heard on the album, with Butler’s remarkably intimate, detailed productions adorned with everything from flute to brass to sitar to aching strings, perfectly matching Kiwanuka’s visions for his songs. – Press Release

“At just 24 years old, Kiwanuka has already found the voice of an old soul. He seems to channel the likes of Otis Redding and Marvin Gaye, infusing his tunes with that same vocal timbre that both yearns and soothes. Of the few songs that had been previously released on other EPs, “I’m Getting Ready” and “Home Again” were immediately captivating in their gentle, lullaby-like rocking. But the rest of the mostly acoustic album also incorporates all kinds of musical flourishes from traditional call-and-responses (like on the swinging “Bones”) to tension-ridden violins (“Rest”) to almost Jethro Tull-inspired flutes (“Tell Me A Tale” and “”I’ll Get Along”).” – Paste Magazine

“Warm, beautifully recorded vintage soul is the unashamed goal here and there are no weak links. The Bill Withers comparisons may seem a little grandiose but Kiwanuka possesses a quite phenomenal voice, which he flexes and curls around joyous moments such as ‘Tell Me A Tale’ and ‘I’ll Get Along’. With an acoustic undercurrent and sympathetic production from Paul Butler of The Bees, this is an absolute treat for fans of rootsy vintage soul and a remarkable statement of intent for a debut release.” – CLASH

About Michael Kiwanuka:

Michael Samuel Kiwanuka (born 3 May 1987) is a British soul musician who is signed to Communion Records. He has been compared to Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, Bill Withers, Randy Newman, Terry Callier, and Otis Redding, as well as Van Morrison and the Temptations. In January 2012, he won the BBC's Sound of 2012 poll.

Kiwanuka has acknowledged influences from musicians such as Jimi Hendrix, Bill Withers, Otis Redding, Jack Johnson, Pops Staples, The Band, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Eric Bibb, Tommy Sims, Wham!, Richie Havens, and has played with James Gadson, who drummed for Bill Withers. – Wiki

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