*Breathes out a relaxed sigh and quietly whispers ‘Kinky Om’*
That should really be all that needs to be said on the matter of this stunning album Kinky Om from Brad Stank, but we’re probably going to have to give you a little more than that, aren’t we?Â
Back at it again with his signature blend of low-fi funk, rich and soulful harmonisation over that effortless voice that pieces it all together, we have a collection of nine songs that together create this blissful scenario which really irons out any worries you’ve had that day, and should certainly be the feature of the Songs to Take a Bath to Playlist. To some this may seem an odd compliment, but Stank’s own life philosophy is based upon slowing down, self-reflection and embracing love, which we’re sure everyone needs more of after what 2020 has thrown down.
While some of these songs have been released as singles in the build up to the album (She Was a Tease, Breathing Like a Baby & Stanky Om) as a whole they all very much hark back to the times when you’d put on a complete album start to finish. The overriding theme of Stank’s visions in his message and delivery really works well and creates the ‘relax’ mentality. In a world where playlists are key, myself included being a victim of the short attention span when there’s so much music to filter, we can find some grounding in the album format. Vinyl junkies will always attest to that connection where simply changing artists may take you a little more time than a click of a button, and that same feeling is one that’s emulated with Kinky Om.Â
Stand-out tracks on the album have to be Ultrasensual Bliss, which is audio embodiment of the Sexistentialism Pop that combines deep-thinking thoughts with, yes you guessed it, raw sexiness. Breathing Like a Baby, one of his singles from the album, featuring US rapper Ryshon Jones who slickly takes charge and adds a pinch of hip-hop to his verse, is low-volume funk, catchy, well-produced and everything you’d want in a chilled-out track, arguably the centrepoint of the spirituality that is radiating from the album as we hear Jiddu Krishnamurti’s words playing out in the closing moments.
She Was a Tease features saxophonist Gal Go, who already jammed alongside Brad last year at one of his live shows, has jumped on this single and given it a wonderful lift with her soulful saxophone tones.
Somewhat ironically, moving quickly from his last album Eternal Slowdown, this latest output has had wonderful success already. Since moving to Liverpool from Chesterfield in 2013, he’s always been the advocate for Liverpool’s music scene, notably Eggy Records’ artists and many of the more niche genres that are finally pushing through and getting recognition they deserve.
So there we have it! Make sure to head to your usual social media outlets and get your Stank on!
You can listen to Brad Stank, Kinky Om on Spotify now.
Michael Fell
