Discography Artist: Kindred The Family Soul

January 23, 2009
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Kindred the Family Soul is a vocal duo from Philadelphia consisting of husband and wife Fatin Dantzler and Aja Graydon. Both began as solo performers. Dantzler was born in Philadelphia and got his start in the music business writing songs for Pebbles and Bell Biv DeVoe. Graydon, from Washington, D.C., had a solo deal at the age of 15. The two united and began writing songs, but then married and started a family, necessitating the steady income of work outside the music business. After a time as an appliance salesman, however, Dantzler went back to trying to make it on the local scene. He and Graydon began performing at the Black Lily club, where they caught the attention of Jill Scott, who took them to her label, Hidden Beach Recordings. They were signed and spent the next two years working on their debut album, Surrender to Love, which was released in February 2003. © William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide

Kindred The Family Soul - Surrender To Love (2003)

Each moment of Surrender to Love is saturated in both accessibility and integrity. Soul music is far from dead if one listens to Kindred and their peers; they make the argument that no matter how gritty, how grim the circumstance, the struggle is not without merit. Give a listen to "We," with its manifesto of home in a slow-tempo poetic groove. Other standouts, even though it's tough to choose, are "What Happens Now," "Contentment" with its Tuck & Patti airiness, the anthemic "Spread the Word" with its Latin percussion-drenched funk that is equal parts Sly Stone, Ray Barretto, and War, the swinging, jazzed out "If I," which could have been sung by Monday Michiru, and the overdriven hip-hopping funk of "Party's Over." (There's a hidden bonus track after cut 18 so don't take it off prematurely.) This is as impressive a debut as one is likely to encounter in 2003. A mindblower.
© Thom Jurek, All Music Guide

Kindred The Family Soul - In This Life Together (2005)

Husband and wife team Fatin Danzler and Aja Gaynor, together Kindred the Family Soul, create music which could emanate only from two souls in spiritual touch, as they explore each other's dark and glorious passages and unfold the oft-forgotten ... Full Descriptionsensuality in undying love. IN THIS LIFE TOGETHER builds on the immense promise of the duo's 2003 debut SURRENDER TO LOVE, as Kindred create lush, lolling landscapes crafted with bits of funk, hip-hop, and jazz of all shades. The power of the concoction is overwhelming on tracks like "Let It All Go," a song blending sensitive and sexy that recalls Al Jarreau, Billie Holiday, and Parliament.
In other words, the collection presents a full-scale portrait of life for a loving, struggling, contemporary couple with three kids trying to keep things together, a life not that different from most people's. That is actually a refreshing perspective to find expressed in popular music, and one a wide audience should be able to identify with.

Kindred The Family Soul - The Arrival (2008)

Killer soul from Kindred, a set that's ever bit as warm and wonderful as previous releases, and proof that our faith in the group is always well-placed! Kindred have a way of making music that seems effortless and easy, but comparing their work to most of their contemporaries, they're definitely a cut above, a really unique modern soul duo who flow together with a wonderful sound. All the elements here are familiar, but their approach is always one that stands out, compelling, captivating and catchy, yet always without being too commercial (even though radio's given these guys plenty of strong support.) Hard to believe that Hidden Beach can still serve up the grooves this strongly a decade into their act, but with Kindred in their corner, they'd be hard pressed not to! © Dustygroove

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Discography Artist, In This Life, Kindred The Family Soul, Surrender to Love, The Arrivial

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Discography Artist: Kindred The Family Soul

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