aaamusic | On 17, Mar 2012

Kindness – aka Brit Adam Bainbridge – has been riding a wave of blogger hype for some time. Finally, his debut album ‘World, You Need A Change Of Mind’ is here – and will be released through Female Energy/Polydor on March 19^th.

 

So, why has there been so much hype surrounding Kindness? Well, that’s easy: it’s because Kindness is a truly special and unique dance-pop soul, with the power to shove away all those copycat, dance-pop ghosts currently clouding the airwaves. Even just upon hearing ‘World, You Need A Change Of Mind’ for the first time, one becomes very quickly aware of the awe-inspiring, musical power that Brainbridge so effortlessly exudes. This is dreamy, dance-orientated pop perfection, that is both impossible to pin down, but sounds eerily familiar, almost classic.

 

Much of it is made of dark, funky jams, twisted with 80s electro-pop, or 90s French pop, with heavy doses of oldschool RnB and indie-pop. The lyrics are intelligent and thought-provoking, and Bainbridge has one hell of a smoothly soulful, calming voice. For each infectious, funk-rock, disco-party song like ‘Gee Up’ or ‘Doigsong’ (which feature jumping, Prince-esque guitars), there is a haunting, electro-pop number like the ambient brilliance of ‘House’. Fans of Kindness will already know ‘Cyan’ – which is also included here – with its leftfield pop and propelling, beefcake bassline.

 

For all the nostalgic sounds of ‘World, You Need A Change Of Mind’ – 80s disco, Prince’s funk and RnB, 90s alternative indie-pop – there is one band that Kindness really brings to mind: Hot Chip. Not because they necessarily sound considerably alike (although they do both share a penchant for funky, electro-pop), but because unlike most dance-pop-rock mashups, both Kindness and Hot Chip are able to produce music that is progressive yet understated, all the while retaining a sense of fun. Insanely cool stuff.

 

Clive Rozario