The Carpenters were that kind of group that many of my friends wanted to shun because they were a bit kitschy, but many of them finally caved pleading, in effect, that even tough guys need a puppy; and it didn't hurt that the puppy could croon like an angel. The best of the songs were classic but classics from an earlier time.
I wouldn't describe myself as a tough guy but I find the the "kitschy" aspect just as off-putting now as I did in the mid-seventies, riding the school bus to and from high school, force-fed top 40 radio.
Nevertheless, I generally recognize and respect good musicianship when I hear it.
No doubt there are records I enjoy that others here might term "kitschy".