ALBUM REVIEW: Michael Kiwanuka - FUDGE

When Michael Kiwanuka released ‘Small Changes’ in 2024, it exuded another example of the brilliance that has made him a Mercury Prize-winning artist. Replacing the sweeping orchestral grandiosity of 2019’s ‘Kiwanuka’ with a warmer, restrained approach, the album was a masterclass in modern Soul. However, ‘Small Changes’ was only the beginning of a two-part project, with his delayed fifth studio album, ‘FUDGE’, recorded around the same time.

‘FUDGE’ projects a poignant, vibrant portrait depicted in an introspective period of the artist’s life caught between identities, wrestling with his place in the musical world while rediscovering the simple, uncomplicated pleasure of making music. From the dreamy, hazy introduction of ‘Summer Clothes’ to the fuzz-heavy guitars and sumptuous strings of ‘Stars’, Kiwanuka experiments, questions and searches for his own direction.

Stepping away from longtime collaborators Danger Mouse and Inflo, Kiwanuka took production into his own hands, recording in a small Southampton studio. The result is a stripped-back, DIY sound that, while occasionally rough around the edges, feels organic and intimate. 'Drowning In Your Heart', 'Sing' and 'Swings and Roundabouts' take on an additional significance when heard against the reality of Kiwanuka's health struggles.

What might otherwise feel like a carefree creative detour becomes something more fragile and heartbreaking, a capsule of a moment when music offered freedom, purpose and happiness amid an uncertain existence. 'Sing' is a genuine standout as a beautiful expression of the joy, vulnerability and freedom with the fragility present in his voice, especially when he hits his upper register with a voice crack.

Psychedelic flourishes, hazy Soul and shimmering guitars drift throughout, occasionally wandering without finding their destination. ‘FUDGE’ may lack the cohesion of its predecessor, but perhaps that isn't the point. Beautifully imperfect and deeply human, it captures something far more elusive than perfection: the joy of creating simply because you love it. In retrospect, that feels extraordinary to have preserved.