Ballads & Blasphemy: The Religious Gospel of Adebola Kuku

Nigerian singer-songwriter Kuku has an interesting heritage. Born Adebola Kuku in the US and raised in Lagos, he now resides in France. His influences are intriguing, but at the same time they result in a record that often seems to lack coherence. There's a brilliant Afro-funk opener, ‘Wáya’, which features the inimitable, legendary drummer Tony Allen. But it is followed up by a clunky Americana number named ‘Evil Doers’; this disjunction is emblematic of the album as a whole. Kuku certainly has a powerful voice, and it reaches highs on ‘Owó’ and the stunning ‘Is it All a Game?’, which has a wonderfully catchy hook and some nifty guitar work, creating the perfect vibe. But the confused ‘La Dernière Fois’ and overly sentimental album closer ‘If There is a Heaven’ upset the flow of the album.

The lyrical content often poses challenges to stereotypical conventional religious practice, but his messages are somewhat lost as the momentum is continually disrupted, and this is a shame. There are plenty of quality tracks, however, making this an album well worth a listen. Kuku is definitely one to watch. His voice has an exuberant tone, which truly excels on most of this release.