LIVE REVIEW: Michael Kiwanuka @ Jacaranda Baltic, Liverpool

One of the defining voices of UK music in the last decade, Michael Kiwanuka is known for creating poignant, intimate songs that make you feel as though he is with you in the room as well as grand, drawn-out soundscapes that soar with strings and drive forward with thick Blues grooves. His new album showcases both sides of this sonic tapestry, with songs such as ‘One And Only’ and ‘The Rest Of Me’ opening with beautifully tender, stripped back atmospheres that leave room for Michael’s vocals to shine before growing into a more complex and expansive sound. 

What better way to sample these transformative new album tracks than at an intimate, stripped back performance at Liverpool’s Jacaranda Baltic on a Sunday evening! 

Photo Credit: @obsolescencephoto

Indeed, it was the perfect environment for the complexities of his songwriting to be put on show. He swam through a sea of new songs such as ‘Small changes’ and ‘Rebel Soul’, admittedly forgetting a couple of lines which brought an authenticity to the performance. Yet, he also delved into some classic cuts like ‘Light’ and ‘Cold Little Heart’ with the latter bringing a warm swell of chorus from the crowd. 

What really stood out in the show was the vocal interplay between Michael and his backing singers. On past albums Michael has been at the forefront of the melodic content while the backing vocal textures blend seamlessly with the strings, adding wonderful webs of sound for the lead vocals to float on top of. However, throughout this performance, and thus the new album, he often let the backing singers deliver the melodic hooks while he took a more lucid vocal approach, drifting across the gentle blues soundscapes with a rich and hypnotic finesse. From start to finish the whole was transfixed on his voice, mesmerised by how easy he makes it look to deliver such powerfully emotive, textured tones.

Although short, the set highlighted everything good about Michael Kiwanuka, a charming live personality, a soulful bluesman and, above all else, the possessor of a voice you can’t help but be hypnotised by.