Most areas have a music scene but I’ve never heard anyone rave about the ‘up and coming Peterborough music scene’. I’ve been to Peterborough many times due to my cousin residing there, and I’ve found that it’s a generally mundane, grey and overall uninspiring place. When first hearing about Kindness, I was surprised to learn that he was from Peterborough and was creating something really exciting that made me want to find out more about this mysterious character. Back in 2009, Adam Bainbridge surfaced with the track Gabriel, a mix of Bon Iver-esque vocals, an 80s drum beat and hints of disco along with the tracks Swinging Party and Gee Up, a frustratingly short catchy tune with a funky slap bassline that you physically couldn’t at least tap your feet along to.
Annoyingly, Adam Bainbridge A.K.A Kindness, disappeared for 2 years, as myself and others frequently asked the question ‘WHERE IS KINDNESS AND WHAT IS HE DOING?’ Convinced that he was unlikely to reappear with a full album on the way, it felt disheartening that someone who showed so much promise would just disappear like that. However, I was pleasantly surprised when ‘Cyan’ appeared and we also got our first proper (but brief) look at what the man behind the music looked like in the accompanying video. Naturally, an album announcement followed and ‘World, You Need A Change Of Mind’ birthed the question of whether Bainbridge would’ve taken on a new sound or stuck to his modern representation of funk and 80s disco. And the answer is both.
Opener ‘SEOD’ takes Kindness in a different direction, with glitch and house elements but still attaining the disco atmosphere that seems to come attached to all of his music. Half of the time during World, You Need A Change Of Mind, it feels as if you should be at a 80s house party, similar to that of the strange and supernatural party scene in Weird Science. Previously heard cover of The Replacements’ ‘Swinging Party’ sees Bainbridge’s self-harmonies in full swing, which work to his advantage and become his trademark throughout the album, creating a haunting faux church choir effect. Although Kindness has developed a signature style, he manages to cover all of the bases as he goes on to cover the original Eastenders theme tune ‘Anyone Can Fall In Love’ and anyone who’s heard the original will know that the bassline is almost identical to that which Kindness has adopted.
Elsewhere, ‘That’s Alright’ is a clear standout on the record, with an intro of atmospheric synth drones and a skilled sax solo before bursting into a drum machine beat you’d expect on an 80s action movie and Bainbridge jazz scatting in between an amalgamation of female vocals. World, You Need A Change Of Mind is exactly what you would expect from this Peterborough-based pioneer who seems to be capable of reviving any genre that’s thrown his way and make it relevant. A brilliant record that’s not going to be kept secret so tell your brother, tell your sister, tell your mother.
8.5
Annoyingly, Adam Bainbridge A.K.A Kindness, disappeared for 2 years, as myself and others frequently asked the question ‘WHERE IS KINDNESS AND WHAT IS HE DOING?’ Convinced that he was unlikely to reappear with a full album on the way, it felt disheartening that someone who showed so much promise would just disappear like that. However, I was pleasantly surprised when ‘Cyan’ appeared and we also got our first proper (but brief) look at what the man behind the music looked like in the accompanying video. Naturally, an album announcement followed and ‘World, You Need A Change Of Mind’ birthed the question of whether Bainbridge would’ve taken on a new sound or stuck to his modern representation of funk and 80s disco. And the answer is both.
Opener ‘SEOD’ takes Kindness in a different direction, with glitch and house elements but still attaining the disco atmosphere that seems to come attached to all of his music. Half of the time during World, You Need A Change Of Mind, it feels as if you should be at a 80s house party, similar to that of the strange and supernatural party scene in Weird Science. Previously heard cover of The Replacements’ ‘Swinging Party’ sees Bainbridge’s self-harmonies in full swing, which work to his advantage and become his trademark throughout the album, creating a haunting faux church choir effect. Although Kindness has developed a signature style, he manages to cover all of the bases as he goes on to cover the original Eastenders theme tune ‘Anyone Can Fall In Love’ and anyone who’s heard the original will know that the bassline is almost identical to that which Kindness has adopted.
Elsewhere, ‘That’s Alright’ is a clear standout on the record, with an intro of atmospheric synth drones and a skilled sax solo before bursting into a drum machine beat you’d expect on an 80s action movie and Bainbridge jazz scatting in between an amalgamation of female vocals. World, You Need A Change Of Mind is exactly what you would expect from this Peterborough-based pioneer who seems to be capable of reviving any genre that’s thrown his way and make it relevant. A brilliant record that’s not going to be kept secret so tell your brother, tell your sister, tell your mother.
8.5
Aurora Mitchell
