Kiwanuka, Michael Kiwanuka's third album, arrived on Friday (November 1), produced by Danger Mouse and Inflo. Pitchfork's review says it feels like an easy listen at first but eventually reveals a mournful and even despairing heart.

According to the review, intimacy has always been fraught for the London singer-songwriter. On Piano Joint (This Kind of Love) he sings “All I want is to talk to you” as if the other person had heard otherwise, and anxiety pervades the record.

In the three years since Love and Hate, Kiwanuka's popularity has only grown, with Cold Little Heart becoming the theme of the series Big Little Lies. His take on soul proceeds from the Temptations' psychedelic era, and the album mirrors Markeidric Walker's cover art: grand and regal in its confidence, with songs as direct as Solid Ground and Piano Joint.