Kindness - Cyan

"Thank christ for that" seemed to be the general reaction to this, the new track from the ever-elusive Kindness,  surfacing online. It seemed many had forgotten about or at least moved on from the initial excitement surrounding Adam Bainbridge's early art-pop / disco-funk spats of genius that got blogs and the music press in a minor frenzy back in late 2009. There was the repetitious 'Gee Up' which boasted an absurdly funky Sugarhill Gang style bassline and suitably avant-garde DIY video, in which Bainbridge donned a stars and stripes cape and wore his hair entirely obscuring his face. And of course the arguably improved version of The Replacement's 'Swinging Party'. Both of which presented Kindness' potential for great things.


'Cyan' isn't a massive departure for Kindness. It is however, one of the tracks of the year. The production values are noticeably higher, but the DIY bedroom effect still hums around your head throughout. The bassline underpinning the track is funkier than James Brown at a carnival and blends expertly with the baggy drumbeat and  Bainbridge's tentative cooing vocals echoing "Cyaaaaaan". The song doesn't make perfect sense, but Kindness' 80s disco ode to the colour blue (presumably) is an intriguing and exciting listening, and a long-awaited restart to what is sure to be a prosperous career.


By Toby McCarron