Michael Kiwanuka - Small Changes

It would be easy to assume that, following the overwhelming success of his partially self-titled release five years ago, that Michael Kiwanuka might have felt the pressure this time around. Judging by the effortless ease with which his fourth album saunters into view, though, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Once again returning to work with producing masters Danger Mouse and Inflo - completing, at least for now, a trilogy of collaborations - ‘Small Changes’ is a beauty of a record, once again showcasing Michael’s innate ability to produce songs that feel both timelessly classic yet still grounded very much in the present. Take the dreamy instrumentation that backs opener ‘Floating Parade’, which manages to evoke images of just that, or the gorgeous piano and haunting vocals of ‘Rebel Soul’ that make for a truly arresting offering. The featherlight fingerprints of his musical inspirations feel to be all over the album - take the relatively (for him, at least) lo-fi feel of ‘Lowdown (part I)’, a track inspired by his love of ‘70s Afro-rock, which bares echoes of Blur’s epic ballad ‘Under The Westway’ - in a way that never feels overwrought or heavy-handed; working instead to add to its nostalgic splendour. An intimate but confident record that reveals more of its magic with every listen.