It’s taken Miguel almost three years to follow up breakthrough album Kaleidoscope Dream, a velvet soft collection of forward-thinking R&B that landed him songwriting jobs for Mariah Carey and Beyoncé. The safest route would have been to have made a blockbuster-style sequel, but as Wildheart’s introspective What’s Normal Anyway attests, Miguel has always been “too far out for the in crowd”. Nestled midway through the album, that song’s pin-drop clarity acts a breather from the first half’s swampy psychedelic funk and X-rated jams (The Valley is worth the PG sticker alone), while the second half channels Sign ‘o’ the Times-era Prince, all thrusting guitar riffs and glorious falsetto. Densely layered and richly rewarding, Wildheart is further evidence that Miguel suits his outsider status.
.jpg?w=600)
