Like Alabama Shakes', Michael Kiwanuka's rise is an indication of the power of word of mouth in this socially-connected world. It's little over a year since he was working as a session guitarist for R&B artists: his solo career started after being deprived of his fee by rapper Chipmunk. In Februrary he'd been performing in a small venue in Manchester, yet last night I was in a crowd of over a thousand people in the HMV Ritz. The turning point was winning the BBC Sound of 2012 award: previous winners have included Adele and Ellie Goulding. His profile had already been raised by his support for Adele on her 2011 tour and the release of an EP in June 2011. He's signed to Communion Records, home of Mumford & Sons, and his début album Home Again went to no.4 in the UK chart on its release here in March.
The night started with Jake Bugg, an 18 year old from Nottingham whose break was to play the BBC Introducing Stage at Glastonbury last year. He sung folk music, playing the acoustic guitar, with a bass player and drummer providing subtle accompaniment. Regardless of age, he's already an accomplished performer, singing tenderly. The background chatter echoing around the venue didn't faze Jake, but it shattered the magic for me (the noise didn't completely cease for the main act either). I'd have liked to see him in a more intimate setting, which might have been more appropriate at this stage in his development.
Michael Kiwanuka has a reserved, even timid stage presence, reminiscent of Laura Marling, whilst leaning towards soul rather than folk music. He came out of his shell towards the end of the show, when he joked with three young ladies who had been dancing at the back of the hall and became more articulate. Yet the sincerity and authenticity in his music making cannot be doubted. The mood was supremely mellow: a very different kind of energy to the extrovert Alabama Shakes. This particularly suited the solo material, such as Rest, which was intimate and moving. The set lasted just over an hour, consisting largely of material from his album and including two beautifully executed covers. The encore was Lasan, the result of a recent collaboration with the Black Keys' Dan Auerbach.
Tell Me a Tale is a classic song, which like much of his material feels familiar even on the first listen, but it was a shame that it wasn't accompanied by jazz flute, as on the album. He did have a five piece backing band, including a percussionist as well as drummer, and a keyboard player; they all accompanied sensitively. Yet it wasn't until the Bill Withers cover I Don't Know that they really played as an ensemble, rather than just as backing. The jam session here was thrilling, and provided an intriguing prospect of a possible future musical direction. Michael has said that he's been exploring the electric guitar and Jimi Hendrix's slower material extensively recently, and it's quite possible his second album will be more extrovert.
Michael's voice is smooth and seductive, more tender than powerful, but expressing a surprising emotional maturity for a 24 year old. Some have accused his music as being middle of the road: NME said the album: 'sounds more like a man crafting a style than really saying something'. This is a misreading, and once you've seen him live though, any such concerns are cast aside. Yes, the tempos are predominantly slow, and the sound borrowed from the early 1970's, but this humble man really does have some of that elusive magic. Perhaps it's because I can relate to his tales of being a lonely worrier, but he has an extraordinary power to affect the emotions. His eyes in particular are incredibly expressive, and he exudes a quiet magnetism.
It's been said that Michael's appeal is because the current era of austerity and recession is reminiscent of the 1970's from which influences his music. Most commentators have overlooked the Christian theme of his work though, and I'm not aware that he's talked about it publicly. Look at the lyrics of I'm Getting Ready:
Oh my, I didn't know what it means to believe
But if I hold on tight, is it true?
Would You take care of all that I do?
Oh Lord, I'm getting ready to believe.
You can certainly appreciate his music regardless of any personal views about religion, but his belief in a dimension to life beyond the literal may help to explain the power of his performance. I believe that even secular music has the potential to provide a glimpse of a possible world beyond the one in which we currently exist; and of all the arts is the one which comes closest to revealing a spiritual dimension. I suspect Michael would agree with this view, and it's part of the reason that you associate the word authentic so strongly with his work. He really is a captivating performer whom I suspect will be showing us more dimensions of his personality in future. Don't wait until he's playing arenas to see him.
Set List (non-album tracks are starred):
- I'll Get Along
- *Company (2011)
- Always Waiting
- Tell Me A Tale
- Worry Walks
- Bones
- *May This Be Love (Waterfall) (Jimi Hendrix Cover)
- I'm Getting Ready
- Anyday (Solo)
- Rest (Solo)
- Home Again
- *I Don't Know (Bill Withers Cover)
- *Lasan (B Side to single I'm Getting Ready)
Tell Me A Tale (Jools Holland show)
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