Small Changes, the 4th studio record from British, singer, songwriter, and producer Michael Kiwanuka, delivers his signature soul style and vocals with incredible poise. Featuring production from Inflo and the legendary Danger Mouse, this project provides a unique and refreshing take on the soul genre.
The record kicks off with “Floating Parade,” a masterclass in soft acoustic production with an incredibly rich layering of instrumentation. A jazzy bassline with soft percussion serves as the foundation upon which vocal samples sit to provide an ethereal or floating ambiance to the track. This further builds lyrical themes of emotional escapism amidst struggles of the modern world. I found that the combination of strings later in the track with Kiwanuka’s deep, rich vocals make for an incredibly immersive opener with a refreshing take on modern soul.
The title track, “Small Changes,” ensues with a slightly more toned down and moody production. Driven by steady percussion, the track features a soft and low-pitched synth that seems to give the semi-nostalgic lyrics a melancholic flair. I personally enjoyed how well the instrumental complements Kiwanuka’s vocals here with the transition from the chorus into the instrumental section sounding incredibly well put together.
“One and Only” takes a more romantic/interpersonal shift featuring soft keys and guitar riffs that give the track a very warm feeling. I found this track to be incredibly moving lyrically with the sentiment of lyrics like “Whatever we’re going through, Oh, darling, I’m always with you” matched and enhanced instrumentally. The use of repetition lyrically felt very apt also given the themes of faithfulness and reassurance. If I were to offer a critique, there’s an incredible string section that closes the track that felt like a really good idea that wasn’t super well expanded upon elsewhere in the track.
Next follows “Rebel Soul” with its jazzy composition of soft cymbals, ascending keys, and warm basslines. With its pairing of a beautiful composition with incredible vocal harmonizations, this track enthralls from start to finish. It feels incredibly well-put together and fresh making it a massive highlight on the track list.
Split into two parts, “Lowdown (part i)” and “Lowdown (part ii),” proceed with the latter being an instrumental continuation of the former. The former presents an interesting emotion lyrically that seems to communicate the feelings of alienation. I loved the instrumentation here and how the apathetic lyrics in the chorus are paired with soft vocal samples and a steady bassline that almost feels like a drone in certain parts of the track (almost gives the impression of floating aimlessly). The latter track delivers yet more beautiful instrumentals with Kiwanuka flexing his guitar skills overlayed with a string section and percussion.
“Follow Your Dreams” diverges from its predecessors instrumentally with a 1980’s-esque synthesizer being a major contributor to the track. While I was a bit uncertain when I first heard the synth (the acoustic sounds and production is one of the record’s strong suits in my mind), I think it’s used quite artfully in the choruses to diversify the track’s sound a bit. This track features my favorite vocal performances on the record; Kiwanuka’s soothing vocals, packed with so much feeling and emotion, elevate an already fantastic track.
Contrary to what the track’s title indicates, “Live For Your Love” paints a morbid picture of a failing relationship with Kiwanuka continually drawn back to this individual. The track feels melancholic with a more traditional soul/R&B drum and bassline composition. I found the lyricism to be of particular interest here especially with how Kiwanuka delivers lines like “Thought I became a face in your crowd” with very little emotion (demonstrating exasperation or even apathy). I found Kiwanuka’s soft guitar riffs to be particularly evocative in this track also.
The next track, “Stay By My Side,” does a complete 180 tone-wise. It features a similar production to its predecessor albeit with a slightly more upbeat tone as a result of the peppy percussion with soft keys and synths. I love Kiwanuka’s vocal performance, especially during the choruses, on this track. I find that his vocal delivery and intonations convey a sense of reassurance perfect for the themes of faithfulness and loyalty presented here. Although I do wish the brief electric guitar at the end of the first chorus was present elsewhere in the track, I find this track to be incredibly strong.
Continuing the upbeat themes of the previous track, “The Rest Of Me,” speaks to notions of self-improvement amidst daily struggles. The track features similar instrumentation as previous tracks on the record — with a soft bassline and percussion setting the tone — although the vocal harmonizations present do give the track a more gospel-esque sound. While I enjoyed the introspection present on this track, I think a bit more instrumental diversity might have supplied a bit of the emotional oomph that previous instrumentals on the record conveyed.
“Four Long Years” closes out the record on an incredible high note. This track does well to explore Kiwanuka’s guitar-skills (something I wish was present a bit more on the record). I love the subtle distortion that’s applied to the electric guitar on this track. Kiwanuka does well to not let the guitar overpower the rest of the instrumental while still packing a ton of emotion behind it (which is further compounded by the raw emotions lyrically). There’s also just something about his delivery of “It’s truly a shame” in the choruses that feels especially crushing in this track. I find this track to be another incredibly moving masterpiece on the record.
As someone who was introduced to Kiwanuka through this record, I can say that I will be following his work much more closely in the future. From start to finish this record is incredible with wonderfully diverse instrumentation, beautiful vocal performances, and incredibly raw and emotional lyrics. I absolutely loved the acoustic production and instrumentation, and how it gave each track a classic soul sound but with modern twists like synths and electric guitar riffs sprinkled in. I enjoyed this record so much that I struggle to find valid critiques besides purely just wanting more of it. This record is absolutely a contender for one of my favorites to come out of 2024 and highly recommend it for any soul fan and non-soul fan alike.
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