World, You Need a Change of Mind Female Energy/Polydor ***

There are obvious precedents for Adam Bainbridge's sultry, wistful dance-funk, and it's indeed a while since anyone has strutted and trotted in quite this manner. High in sheen and gloss, World, You Need A Change Of Mind knows its onions when it comes to downtown directions by way of Arthur Russell, Prince and Roxy Music. The problem, though, is that Bainbridge and producer Philippe Zdar (from Cassius) are all too often hampered by a lack of substance as they layer on the stylish touches. For every graceful, swoonsome track such as Cyan or the infectious That's Alright, the Kindness plot comes badly unstuck when they attempt (and fail) to iron out the ironies in a track such as Anita Dobson's EastEnders' theme tune Anyone Can Fall In Love. This album is not half as clever as its creators think. Myspace.com/kindnesses  JIM CARROLL

Download track: Cyan