Kokoroko Tuff Times Never Last
Kokoroko's Tuff Times Never Last arrives as a sun-soaked, spiritually tinged follow-up that trades some of the debut's raw Afrobeat sweat for sleeker, tuneful songwriting. Across four professional reviews the record earned a 74/100 consensus score, and critics consistently point to a handful of standout tracks - notably “Sweetie”, “My Father in Heaven” and “Never Lost” - as the album's most memorable moments.
Reviewers praise the album's warm brass, lullaby vocal harmonies and a balance of softness and energy that makes many songs quietly danceable. Clash and The Line of Best Fit highlight “Sweetie” as the irresistible centerpiece, where duelling trumpet and saxophone deliver vintage disco joy, while both publications and The Guardian single out “My Father in Heaven” and “Never Lost” for their spiritual or elegiac tones. Critics note Kokoroko's shift toward 1980s soul and tighter song structures, trading extended improvisation for melodic hooks without abandoning jazz spontaneity.
Critical responses are mostly admiring but tempered. The Guardian flags an album-wide placidity that softens impact; Pitchfork's listing contributes a middling score without extended commentary. Taken together, the professional reviews suggest Tuff Times Never Last is a cohesive, summer-ready collection that showcases the band's growth in arrangement and collaboration, offering standout songs for those searching for the best songs on Tuff Times Never Last and a solid critical consensus on its strengths and limits.
Below, detailed reviews unpack how individual tracks like “Just Can't Wait” and “Closer To Me” fit into Kokoroko's evolving sound.
Critics' Top Tracks
The standout songs that made critics take notice
Just Can't Wait
1 mention
""Just Can’t Wait" are pure bass-driven 1980s disco-soul gloss"— The Line of Best Fit
Sweetie
3 mentions
"Lead single ‘Sweetie’ is a treat"— Clash Music
My Father in Heaven
3 mentions
"‘My Father’ reflects, with vocals a little more raw"— Clash Music
Lead single ‘Sweetie’ is a treat
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
Never Lost
Sweetie
Closer To Me
My Father in Heaven
Idea 5 (Call My Name) [feat. LULU.]
Three Piece Suit (feat. Azekel)
Time and Time (feat. Demae)
Da Du Dah
Together We Are
Just Can't Wait
Over / Reprise
What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 4 critics who reviewed this album
Critic's Take
Kokoroko’s Tuff Times Never Last feels like a love letter to a hot London summer, and the reviewer clearly singles out “Sweetie” as one of the best songs on the album. He praises its sunlit energy while noting that tracks such as “My Father in Heaven” bring a rawer, more reflective edge, which helps explain why those two stand out as best tracks on Tuff Times Never Last. The tone is admiring throughout, crediting the band and collaborators for deepening the group’s sound and making nearly every song danceable. This balance of optimism and melancholy is presented as the record’s strength, and it underpins why “Sweetie” and “My Father in Heaven” emerge as top picks.
Key Points
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The best song, “Sweetie”, is singled out for its sunlit, energetic charm and is called a 'treat'.
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The album’s core strengths are its summer atmosphere, danceable arrangements, and a bittersweet undercurrent that deepens Kokoroko’s sound.
Themes
Critic's Take
The Guardian's Ammar Kalia finds the best songs on Tuff Times Never Last to be the lullaby-styled opener “Never Lost” and the slowed-guitar elegy “Closer To Me”, praising Kokoroko's comforting tone and warm brass while noting small departures like “Sweetie” and “Idea 5 (Call My Name)” that flirt with livelier textures. Kalia writes in a measured, observant tone, admiring the group's easygoing, ruminative sound but arguing that these highlights are softened by an album-wide placidity. The review positions those tracks as the album's most memorable moments for listeners searching for the best tracks on Tuff Times Never Last or the best songs on Tuff Times Never Last.
Key Points
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The best song is the lullaby-styled "Never Lost" because it crystallises Kokoroko's comforting brass and vocal warmth.
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The album's core strength is a consistent, easygoing, ruminative sound anchored by warm brass, muted horns and languorous grooves.
Themes
Critic's Take
Kokoroko’s Tuff Times Never Last trades some of the debut’s sweaty Afrobeat bounce for a sleeker, 1980s soul-tinged warmth, and the best songs reflect that shift. Opener “Never Lost” sets the scene with a laidback reggae-soul groove and a hook that reads as both devotional and romantic, while “Sweetie” is the record’s most irresistible moment, the duelling trumpet and saxophone delivering pure, vintage disco joy. The spiritual “My Father In Heaven” and the disco-gloss of “Da Du Dah” and “Just Can’t Wait” reveal Kokoroko’s new emphasis on tunefulness over extended improvisation. The reviewer hears an album that retains jazz spontaneity but prioritises substantial songwriting, making these tracks the best songs on Tuff Times Never Last for listeners seeking groove and melody.
Key Points
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“Sweetie” is the best song because its duelling trumpet and saxophone create the album’s most irresistibly hooky moment.
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The album’s core strength is prioritising substantial, tuneful songwriting while retaining jazz spontaneity.