Kennon's CD Worth the Call
T. Yap | Sydney, NSW, Australia | 05/13/2010
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Prime Cuts: Cry Like Memphis, Then There Was You, That's Love
Some singer-songwriters tell stories that are so benign that there's not a splinter of urgency. Others like Kennon has a way of not only transposing the listener into the narrative flux of the song but he has a way of making the story our own. Yet, behind these story-songs Kennon also proffer inspirational messages about pro-life, good family raising, the importance of God all done in such a classy way that they don't sound judgmental at all. Just like Tim McGraw's albums from the 90s, many of these paeans have layers of meanings that you will want to return to again and again. This is thanks in part to the help of veteran co-producer and label-chief James Stroud. Stroud who has had a hand in crafting hit albums for the aforementioned McGraw, John Anderson, Clint Black, Lorrie Morgan, and Clay Walker has placed his golden touch on these 12 tracks again. Though the bulk of these tracks would fall under the southern rock category filtered through the prism of today's commercial country, there are still dollops of quieter country moments enhanced by gentle plucking of the fiddles and the soothing tickling of the piano.
Likened to a countrified version of Joe Cocker, Kennon's gravel-like vocals makes Gary Allan sound like a Richie MacDonald. Kennon postures his sandy-macho vocals to great effect especially on the debut single "The Call." Written by Noah Gordon, Jeremy Campbell and Kennon, "The Call" is one of those signature songs that speak of how a phone call can sometimes change a person's life around. More heart warming moments abound with "That's Love" where Kennon paints vignettes of sacrificial love exemplified by a pregnant girl who decided to raise her child herself to the death of Jesus Christ on the Cross. This ballad is made even more moving with the song's piano-enhanced setting. To the unacquainted, "Mama Raised the Hell Outta Me" may just be another southern rocker about good Godly upbringing. But if you situate the song within Kennon's autobiography where this Georgian was abandoned by his birth mother before he was adopted by a couple who had lost their own children in a fire, the song puts on a whole new veneer of meaning.
Rob Crosby who co-wrote Martina McBride's "Concrete Angel" and Lee Greenwood's "Holding a Good Hand," has a hand in co-scribing two tracks. The driving mid-tempo "The Man I Used to Be" is an unapologetic exposition of the fringe benefits of hardships in shaping our lives for the better. While the stately Gary Allan-like "Then There Was You" shows a more romantic side of Kennon. To tap into Kennon's emotionally expressive side take a listen to the gorgeous "Cry Like Memphis." Crooning off softly first before exploding into an anthemic crescendo of a thunderous swirl of electric guitars, this is just beautiful. Never one to advocate a comme ci comme ca lifestyle, "Drive It Like You Stole It" tells of living life to the full.
Nevertheless, there are a few misfires, namely the not so subtle "Some People Piss Me Off" and the pointless jam "Too Loud." Other than that, Matt Kennon's debut CD is one to savour. He certainly has a knack for writing and recording songs that speak to life's situations. And at the end of the day, these are the songs that matter. This CD is definitely worth the call.
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Track Listings (12) - Disc #1