7.5

Michael Kiwanuka: Home Again

Music Reviews Michael Kiwanuka
Michael Kiwanuka: Home Again

Anglo-Ugandan singer/songwriter Michael Kiwanuka’s debut album was released in the United Kingdom back in March. Home Again became available digitally in the United States in May and now, physical copies of the folksy, bluesy, soulful record have finally hit American streets.

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”).

On Home Again, the young Kiwanuka proves that youth and wisdom are not mutually exclusive and his insights and talents, albeit still a bit raw, suggest great things to come.

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