Michael Kiwanuka’s 2012 debut album Home Again arrived with a sound that felt wonderfully out of step with its surroundings. Warm, intimate and beautifully understated, it draws on classic soul, folk and blues without ever feeling like a museum piece. Kiwanuka’s rich, lived-in voice sits at the centre, surrounded by acoustic guitars, strings, horns, Rhodes piano and gently rolling percussion.
Produced by Paul Butler, Home Again is a record built on restraint. Tell Me A Tale opens things expansively with flute and brass curling around Kiwanuka’s vocal, while I’m Getting Ready strips everything back to something wonderfully direct. I’ll Get Along has an easy, infectious swing, Bones brings a little more bounce, and the gorgeous title track captures the album at its most tender.
There is an old-soul quality running through the entire album, but its greatest strength is how natural it all feels. Nothing is overplayed or dressed up unnecessarily. Home Again simply lets Kiwanuka’s songwriting, guitar playing and extraordinary voice do the heavy lifting, making for a quietly confident debut that rewards returning to again and again.
TRACKS:
Side A
Tell Me A Tale
I'm Getting Ready
I'll Get Along
Rest
Home Again
Side B
Bones
Always Waiting
I Won't Lie
Any Day Will Do Fine
Worry Walks Beside Me
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