A couple weeks ago Bill over at Sound Bites did a ‘trend piece’ on the subject of the current wave of soft rock. He could be onto something, because this new No Kids EP is right up that alley. A few months ago Nick Krgovich unveiled Maintenant which was his excellent project in the vein of the Sixths and God Save the Girl. Now he’s back to his day job as leader of No Kids, one of his other bands. No Kids’ 2008 debut album Come Into My House had its moments but the new EP just out this week on Tomlab is leaps and bounds ahead of that record. Krgovich is quickly becoming a maestro, and this four song EP exudes confidence in its soulful slightly geeky pop. At times it reminds me of Night and Day/Body and Soul Joe Jackson, All Wheels Good Prefab Sprout, Walk Across the Rooftops Blue Nile, Lateness of the Hour Eric Mathews, and Diamond Life Sade. Sometimes it’s even a little reminiscent of Chicago. The horn arrangements on side one are undeniable, and even downright rump shaking on I Want To Be Around (at least in a white NW Canadian kind of way). Side two switches it up with The Jazz Singer a bit of Jackson-esque Cha Cha Loco, and then slows it down with In Dreamland which recalls Blue Nile’s Downtown Lights. It’s smooth stuff that will sound great on your record player which is the only way you’ll be able to hear it (no CD release), unless of course you’ve got yourself one of those newfangled mp3 players.
mp3: No Kids – I Want To Be Around
Order up your No Kids slab o’ vinyl from Tomlab
the finest kiss 
this is where indiepop is going maybe. at popfest last weekend, andrew churchman said his new band will have three guitarists and sound like the blue nile and prefab sprout.