I know nothing about The Kindling, but the London four-piece’s BandCamp has them describe themselves as ‘widescreen minimal alt-folk, with a touch of americana.’ I’m unsettled by the lower-case ‘a’.
I’m nonplussed by the limp, barely-there song, where a shuffling beat dominates layers of hushed, mellow vocals that quaver and croon over woodwind that’s so understated as to be barely present, let alone holster a tune.
The elements are all in place for The Kindling creating magic in the vein of the sadly-missed Dark Captain Light Captain, but on this outing they simply lack the detail, the melody, and above all, the strength of songwriting.
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For all that, it ain’t bad, and definitely delivers on the minimalism.
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