Gig review: Michael Kiwanuka, ABC, Glasgow

WITH rows of chairs set out across the main dancefloor of the ABC, Michael Kiwanuka’s set was defined before it even began.

Polite, laid-back, performed without any expectation that those attending may wish to get up on their feet and dance – Kiwanuka pitches straight for the middle of the road, and he lands square in the centre.

It was a show with which was tricky to find technical fault, but easy to imagine dividing opinion. Backed by a four-piece band, including a percussionist who brought a certain depth and richness to the skilled, soulful, coffee-table jazz, 24-year-old Kiwanuka was the epitome of silken singer-songwriter cool, a handsome young guy in a denim shirt and tan jeans. His voice is sharp and crystal clear, a caressing holler which broke into gentle flips of joy during signature tracks like I’ll Get Along and I’m Getting Ready, and it’s easy to see why he was the BBC’s top choice for their Sound of 2012 poll.

No boundaries were broken here, but this is music whose audience might grow and grow through its inoffensive skill at pitching to a wide market.

Saying that is both a ringing endorsement of his potential as a commercial success and a tacit recognition of the lack of real fiery passion he inspires, although in a closing salvo, which included the smooth soul of Moving On, a capable nod to his spiritual forebear Bill Withers in I Don’t Know and a hint of almost Willie Nelson country balladry in Lasan, Kiwanuka at least charmed with a gentle ease.

Rating: ***