Kidstreet

The homegrown trio of Kidstreet turned up the imagination, making sugary music that’s creatively riveting. Hailing from Kitchener-Waterloo, ON, this three-piece indie collective have released an album fitting for an urban independent movie soundtrack as much as belonging in the bags of bar scene underground hipsters. Computer-created synth beats with melody are teamed with, and softened by, acoustic instrumentation to make satisfying sounds not easily categorised. "BMX Love” begins the record in a new-wave videogame style, one expects Brit-pop vocals but a charming synthesiser melody is offered instead. The record continues that route, taking a spaced-out jazz turn with "Fine” and moving into the semi-successful crunchy break beat of "Disk Mixer 2013.” The piano down-tempo of "Edna PTK” rides like a cross-Canada tour changing speeds along the way. Kidstreet have loads of potential; I hope they don’t stick to playing local bar shows and look to do events like Soundwave or Harvest Festival. Maybe for their next album they’ll move away from the university party scene and take a trip through the Amazon rainforest. I wonder how that would inspire them.