Michael Kiwanuka's 'FUDGE': stripped back, raw and moving
The Briton's fifth album arrived on 23 October via Polydor. Rolling Stone UK gives it four stars out of five and praises its sparse new sound.
Archive image · Photo: Anna Hanks from Austin, Texas, USA / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Michael Kiwanuka released 'FUDGE', his fifth studio album, on 23 October 2026 via Polydor. Instead of working with his long-time collaborators Danger Mouse and Inflo, he produced the record himself, then finished it with Dom Monks and Rosie Danvers. The songs were written largely alongside 2024's 'Small Changes' and recorded mainly in Southampton and Frome. The release was delayed by almost a year, and according to the label all live commitments remain on hold.
Rolling Stone UK rates the album 4 out of 5. Reviewer Will Richards describes a sound pared back to a minimum; four tracks run past six minutes. He singles out 'Drowning in Your Heart', carried by just voice and electric guitar.
According to Rolling Stone UK, Kiwanuka said: "I had to do it differently from the last few records, otherwise there was no reason for this record." The album opens with a speech by the late jazz pianist Chick Corea.