Reviewed by Gareth Hills

Throughout his 17 album musical career the accomplished Canadian singer/songwriter has proven that he can consistently deliver the goods. His latest offering continues this trend, with a selection of warm songs with a late-summery kind of vibe. Each piece is superbly arranged with a minimalist core of guitar and piano, tastefully embellished with various additional instruments - the sublime string arrangement on "Gifting & The Giver" would not feel out of place on a Nick Drake song, while the percussion underpinning the album's title track manages to achieve that elusive state of less is more. As a whole, the album is a warm experience, and Bell's experience shines through across each track. I particularly enjoyed the ethereal "These Are The Ones", and the Michael Hedges-esque "Stubble & Hay". 'Kindness' is an album that both rewards the attentive listener as well as being mellow enough to be put on in the background, but to do the latter would be to miss the depth of feeling and musicianship oozing from every track.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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