I don’t love Michael Kiwanuka’s third and latest outing, 2019’s Kiwanuka, but I do love the British singer-songwriter with Ugandan roots, who enjoyed a fast come-up in the US after one of his tracks was tapped as the opening theme for smash HBO drama Big Little Lies. Don’t get me wrong, Kiwanuka is a solid effort of psychedelic soul that music rags are praising left and right, but I prefer the entrancing, deeply poignant feel of its predecessor, Love & Hate. One thing has remained intact on both: his elegant, rich, emotive, resonant vocals, lightly scratchy with a cadence that hints at his African heritage. by Leilani Polk