8/10

Over these last few years, Michael Kiwanuka has grown from a conventional commercial entity into one of the more revered additions to the new music scene. While his earlier material was still well received, it has been in the more recent years that his style and aesthetic has really begun to shine through, culminating in his first Mercury Prize win for his 2019 LP 'KIWANUKA'. And after a few years away to figure out his next move, he now makes his eagerly-awaited return to deliver his hotly-tipped fourth studio album 'Small Changes', a record that continues those effervescent qualities once again.

Much like what his direction has been exploring in the latter half of his career, 'Small Changes' takes these rich and sprawling grooves and spreads them effortlessly across his wondrous, soul-infused vocals at every turn. Similar to what his previous full-length looked to explore, his newest outing finds him in this wonderfully explorative spirit as he looks to hone a more immersive texture for himself, one that ventures towards a more heartfelt intention than anything else.

It has certainly been a while since we last heard anything from him, but 'Small Changes' has clearly been a labour of love for him. While it can sometimes be difficult to follow up such an enormous critical success for many, he makes light work of it and delivers something truly mesmerising once again.