Album Review: Michael Kiwanuka - ‘Fudge’

The sensational Michael Kiwanuka returns with his fifth LP Fudge this week! The record was recorded in England, but was left in limbo because of health issues Kiwanuka was experiencing. Fudge marks a turning point for Kiwanuka, as he took the reines of production, he had previously worked with Dangermouse and Inflo.

Fudge was written near simultaneously as his previous LP, Small Changes. Fudge is different than his other work in that it’s a bit more stripped back sonically. The tracks emphasize more mellow melodies, with rhythms being anchored by the percussion. Especially with the even-paced “California”, which moves deliberately with Kiwanuka’s vocals dialed back some with some cool strings and keys.

“Just Another Moment” picks things up a bit with a snappy rhythm, once again held down by the percussion. It has some effects driven highs that I loved, that felt almost ethereal in their form over the bop of the percussion. Kiwanuka’s vocals take the spotlight on this one for me. It’s a winner for sure.

Sometimes I like to compare the sound of a song or album to colors. If I were to do so, I’d say it’s somewhere between blue and purple. Not emotionally blue, but rather cool and melodic. There are moments on this record that are jazzy and soulful, in all the right ways. I especially enjoyed “Love in My Heart”, another methodically-paced track that moves the listener along slowly. It’s definitely one to drift away to simply for the vibes.

“Sing” the second single of the album is an acoustic number, where Kiwanuka’s vocals float effortlessly over. This one is raw and emotive in it’s simplicity. It’s a longer one as it clocks in around six minutes, and it goes in movements, adding instrumentation including percussion, strings, bass, organ, and more to accompany Kiwanuka. Simply put, Fudge is a winner from top to bottom if you’re looking for something to mellow out and drift away to.

Rating - 9/10