Michael Kiwanuka. Small Changes.
You might know him best from Cold Little Heart, the enchanting, Isaac Hayes reminiscent theme tune from the darkly comic TV series Big Little Lies.
But Michael Kiwanuka’s brand of fragile, folk-influenced acoustic soul has as much to do with the future as it does the past.
The modest Londoner’s stripped-back fourth album marries the warmth of 70s soul with the spirit of 90s indie rock on eleven idiosyncratic tracks. And he still sounds like Bill Withers.
Michael’s last release, 2020’s Kiwanuka, won the Mercury Prize. He’s opted for a subtler, more intimate vibe here.
The album title acknowledges how his life has transformed over the last four years after becoming a father.
He wrote the tender and sublime One And Only for his wife, Charlotte.
Michael opens with the orchestral soul of Floating Parade – “Count all your blessings, my mother said,” and reaches an early downbeat peak with the plaintive Lowdown (part i) which has the feel of the late Tim Buckley.
“I’ve been losing my touch, I’ve fallen under, I’ve had enough,” he confesses over strummed acoustic guitar. The downbeat lyrics are buoyed by bubbling bass and uplifting backing singers.
Lowdown (part ii) takes us in an unexpected Pink Floyd direction, as Michael plays a slow, emotive electric guitar solo with a distinct whiff of Dave Gilmour.
The gently hypnotic Rebel Soul is about hanging on to your individuality and not being engulfed by relationships.
“Why should I be afraid for you to go? Take back what I stole?” he asks.
Haunting ballad Four Long Years was inspired by Mazzy Star’s Fade Into You.
Produced by Danger Mouse and Inflo (Brian Burton and Dean Cover), Michael fashions his influences into something special.
His triumph at Glastonbury this Summer won’t be his last.
Joan Armatrading. How Did This Happen And What Does It Now Mean.
Joan packs in jazz rock (Now What), blues-rock (Back & Forth) and observational lyrics – I’m Not Moving was based on a frightening real-life stand-off – on her 21st studio album. She covers lost love (Come Back To Me) anti-love (Someone Else) and loving an addict (Redemption Love). It’s bold and smart; a Brummie joy.
Bryan Adams. Live At The Royal Albert Hall 2024.
Three of the Canadian star’s best albums – 1984’s Reckless, 1996’s 18 ’Til I Die, and 2022’s So Happy It Hurts, are performed here, captured live at Adams’s Albert Hall shows in May. The 36 songs include Run To You, Summer Of 69, and The Only Thing That Looks Good On Me Is You. Rock with a positive pop sheen. The 3CDs come with Blu-Ray films and a photo-book.
Dolium. The Products Of Our Demands & Command.
The lo-fi Sheffield band have been dubbed a “less depressing Joy Division”. They’re certainly more energetic. Driving scuzz-rock numbers like Get Off On My Machine show why they caught rock press attention 20 years ago. We get Dolium’s complete works (remastered) plus their unreleased third album and an arty booklet.
The Yardbirds. The Ultimate Live At The BBC.
London blues legends The Yardbirds were initially powered by guitar guru Eric Clapton who quit when the band became poppier. They replaced him with Jeff Beck, then Jimmy Page. Both are featured here on this 4xCD comp covering every one of their BBC performances, including Heart Full Of Soul from The Ken Dodd Show. There is some repetition, though versions do differ, and it ends with Dazed & Confused – soon to be re-recorded by Page’s next band, Led Zeppelin. The recordings are decent, and the mastering is terrific. Sadly, the Beeb wiped the Clapton era tapes. An act of cultural vandalism.