Cold Little Heart

Michael Kiwanuka, 2016. Solo by Michael Kiwanuka.

A long, patient guitar solo opens the song, recalling 1970s soul and Pink Floyd before the vocal even appears.

Cold Little Heart opens with a long, patient guitar solo that sets the mood for the entire song before the vocal even arrives. Michael Kiwanuka's playing is slow and expressive, with sustained notes and subtle bends that recall 1970s soul and Pink Floyd's spacious rock. The solo unfolds gradually, building emotional weight through restraint rather than speed. It helps define the song's atmosphere of longing and reflection. Listen for how each phrase seems to hang in the air, and how the guitar tone, warm with a hint of grit, blends with the lush strings and choir to create a deeply immersive soundscape.

Cold Little Heart by Michael Kiwanuka is featured in our Neo-Soul (#5) list. The solo is played by Michael Kiwanuka and the song was released in 2016.

In our lists

• The Greatest Solo of Every Year — #73
• Beyond the Canon — #42
• The 20 Greatest Neo-Soul Guitar Solos — #5

Sources