After line-up changes and a bit of soul-searching, Kid Kapichi return with Fearless Nature. It’s not so much a fresh start as it is a long, hard look in the mirror. The urgency that’s always powered the Hastings band is still there, but it’s channeled differently — enough to satisfy old fans and entice new audiences into their fold.
Musically, the album covers a lot of ground, swinging between minimalist indie rock, anthemic pop, hip-hop beats, and experimental edges, but somehow it all hangs together perfectly. That coherence is hard to pin down, but it definitely feels intentional, reflecting a slightly more reflective and considered approach to the way the songs unfold.
The album’s monochrome artwork mirrors its sound too: stark, stripped-back, and often dark, yet punctuated by moments of brightness and hope. Frontman Jack Wilson has explained that he turned inward for this record, moving away from political and media commentary toward personal reflection: “This album was much more introspective, seeing your reflection as you look out the window rather than what’s on the other side.” The result is a confessional record that never feels indulgent, one that acknowledges that perspective shifts and nothing stays fixed – or broken – forever.
Opener ‘Leader of the Free World’ sets the tone immediately: slow and understated, punctuated by cinematic piano flourishes, and built around a weary, observational mantra — “Is it money or the people? … Turns out the first one was better than the sequel.” From there, ‘Intervention’ briefly snaps back with familiar bite – part ’90s Pop Will Eat Itself swagger, part reputation-anxious chant, before the album drifts into its more exploratory territory.
Single ‘Shoe Size’ sees the band at their most stripped-back and sinister. Its slow-burn groove, chant-like refrain, and Wilson’s drawl – “I’ve been looking for the right song” – feel sharply self-aware, as if acknowledging the search that shaped the album itself. ‘Stainless Steel’ follows, delivering the record’s title line – “Are you scared of your fearless nature?” – framing vulnerability as a form of strength rather than weakness.
The album’s starkest emotional pivot comes with ‘Dark Days Are Coming’ and ‘Patience.’ The first leans into existential dread, its creeping guitar and off-kilter piano conjuring a bleak mood, while ‘Patience’ flips the script, injecting playful energy — part Cypress Hill bounce, part Beck-esque alt-rock — and offering a welcome sense of release. Wilson has since reflected that he was in one of the darkest periods of his life while writing the album, and listening to it now reminds him how quickly things can change, and that perspective really feels baked into the sequencing of the album; these two tracks in particular.
Later tracks stretch the album’s sound even further. ‘If You’ve Got Legs’ leans on a bass-heavy groove with hints of UNKLE and Ian Brown, while ‘Head Right’ toys with playful, pop-leaning energy that nods to Gorillaz. ‘Saviour’ strips things back again, its ’90s Blur-like melancholy giving Wilson more room than ever to stretch vocally, while closer — and recent single — ‘Rabbit Hole’ ties it all together with hazy guitars and trippy beats that lift into a wide, anthemic chorus; a fitting, expansive finale that’s sure to translate well in a live setting.
Fearless Nature might not be Kid Kapichi’s most immediate record, nor does it seek to be. Steeped in pessimism and uncertainty yet punctuated by flashes of resolve, it is a considered, mature step forward — a real grower that rewards repeated listens. So, if you’ve got legs, get running for a copy.
VERDICT:
Fearless Nature releases this January 16th, 2026 via Spinefarm.
Kid Kapichi will mark the album release with a series of in-store shows across the UK:
Jan 15: Banquet, Kingston
Jan 16: Rough Trade, Denmark St. (matinee)
Jan 16: Rough Trade East, London
Jan 17: Resident, Brighton
Jan 18: Thekla, Bristol
Jan 19: Rough Trade, Nottingham
Jan 20: Headrow House, Leeds
Jan 21: Rough Trade, Liverpool
Jan 22: Music’s Not Dead, DLWP, Bexhill-on-Sea
Tickets are available HERE.
The band are also confirmed for a number of 2026 festival appearances:
May 23: Pretty Pissed Fest, Netherlands
May 24: Bearded Theory, Derbyshire
July 26: Truck Festival, Oxfordshire
Aug 02: Y Not Festival, Derbyshire
Aug 30: APE Festival, London
