★★★★★
Effortlessly retro and undeniably lush, British soul musician Michael Kiwanuka’s second album sees him strike gold.
Indeed, Love & Hate is a record so heavily drenched in soul that it could easily have been made 40 years ago – which is somewhat of a contradiction given that there is also great experimentation, confidence and vulnerability on display here.
Love & Hate is a leap from Kiwanuka’s 2012 debut Home Again. With rich, loose string arrangements, relaxed beats, and vocals that are simultaneously heartbreakingly weary and melt-in-your-mouth, comparisons can be made to the likes of Marvin Gaye, Bill Withers and Van Morrison. It’s something that producers Inflo and Brian Joseph Burton, AKA Danger Mouse, cleverly helped to craft.
Kiwanuka co-wrote the hypnotically rhythmic lead single ‘Black Man In A White World’ with Inflo, and its challenging and emotional exploration of black identity includes the illustrative line, “I’m in love but I’m still sad / I found peace but I’m not glad”. Other standouts are the ten-minute opener and devastatingly raw ‘Cold Little Heart’, and the groove-inducing ‘One More Night’.
Given the commercial success of other vintage-inspired confessional crooners like Adele and Amy Winehouse, Kiwanuka could have played it safe and same-same on Love & Hate. Instead, he’s chosen a bold, inspired and passionate approach.
