For those unfamiliar with Michael Kiwanuka, strap yourself in for a 10 minute journey that simultaneously radiates pain and promise. “Cold Little Heart” is the first track off Kiwanuka’s recent LP Love & Hate, the follow up to his first studio album Home Again released in 2012.

Right off the bat, Kiwanuka slowly pulls us in and immediately hijacks listeners’ attention with tantalizing strings and soft drama-laden piano hits. A ghostly bayou choral background crafts a feeling of unease that is carried until an acid rock electric guitar tosses a splash of color in the already mesmerizing heartache concoction. Don’t get comfortable – Kiwanuka’s raspy blues vocals rock the boat yet again around 5 minutes after the drums are introduced.

I love this song because time simply dissolves; the epic morphs repeatedly, forcing my vain efforts to classify its style to succumb to the song’s timelessness resulting from Kiwanuka fusing modern and historic themes. “Cold Little Heart” is just one example from Love & Hate that together make Kiwanuka’s latest album one of my favorites from 2016 thus far.

Check out Michael Kiwanuka here.