MICHAEL KIWANUKA - SOLID GROUND

Bob Dylan once sang about rainy day women. But now as we enter the era of millennial malaise, it’s more like rainy day everything. Michael Kiwanuka’s “Solid Ground,” has the UK indie-soul singer-songwriter crooning the unmistakable feeling of nearly losing oneself completely. We get it. A world in strife, with no place to just sit and breathe. This is an anthem for those of us who need a little bit more help than we’re being offered by society around us. Pop on a pot of coffee and a pair of headphones and let this one envelop you. 

This track is a belter that has us feeling every single one of the feels on this freezing fall day. It might not be raining out where we are, but it sure feels like it is everywhere. It’s cold and damp and we’re not feeling so great about our station in life. Maybe it’s just our allergies acting up. Either way, this track has come at the moment we needed it. Just in time to stare out the window forlornly and consider our existence. May it bring you peace in these trying times. May you find solid ground.

MICHAEL KIWANUKA - SOLID GROUND

“Solid Ground” is the fourth offering from Kiwanuka’s third full-length record, Kiwanuka.  This is the artist’s second album-length collaboration with the legendary Danger Mouse. For such a minimalistic blues-oriented track, Danger Mouse is allowed to let fly with production flourishes that really punch this song into the sad sack stratosphere.  

While Kiwanuka has a blues / soul oriented direction, “Solid Ground” comes off a bit more hopeless than the rest of the record.  Lead singles “You Ain’t the Problem” and “Hero” see that Danger Mouse production we know and love, that’s as uplifting as it is caught in the mud.  On one level this feels like an extension of Danger Mouse’s work with the Black Keys, but goddamn if Kiwanuka doesn’t have a better voice than 95% of the music industry.

This one has been one to watch for a while now, but this is the record that’s going to shoot Michael Kiwanuka into every household this side of 1997.  Catch him on tour in Europe for the rest of the year and America come January and February 2020. This is his last small venue tour, tell you what. 

From deep within the murky depths of the Los Angeles River emerged a creature: 50% raver, 50% comedian, 10% Robotcop. Kurt Kroeber doesn’t own a dog, operates Soundbleed (the world’s only dance party comedy talk show rave), and is down to party with you. Come up some time and say “Hey dude!” But definitely make sure to casually drop the secret Illuminati password.