KINS

Kins

2014-02-28

The alternative group Kins' self-titled, debut LP is their first effort following their move from Melbourne, Australia to the city of Brighton on the south coast of England.  While in Australia, Kins released a 7-track EP entitled Dancing Back and Forth Covered In Whipped Cream, growing their fan base.  After moving to Brighton, the original members of Kins, Thomas Savage, vocals and guitar, and Queline Cartwright, keyboards and vocals, were joined by Rob Walters and Alex Knight, the current rhythm section. In an industry that focuses on overpowering vocals and clichéd hooks, KINS, the 10-track album, makes room for the music.  The album opens with Savage's vocals, which convey longing and menace in their falsetto whine, alongside a simple, but building electric guitar line in "Pale Faced Fear." Throughout the album, the electric guitar takes over the melody, the drums beat down the vocals and the bass guitar drives through the lyrics. The melody in "Mockasin's" is most often carried by the electric guitar, while being reinforced by synth from Cartwright's keys. Half-way through "Aimless" the vocals drop out and do not return, instead melodies are passed between guitar and keys, at times a trumpet.  The album ends with "Abslurd," lyrically a harsh look at London, but musically a haunting mesh of sounds.
Richard Martin 

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