Many would say that Kenna’s music falls between categories, and in a strictly categorized music world, it becomes quite easy for an artist like himself to get lost in the mix. His influences range from hip hop, new wave, punk, house, and electronica, and many of his songs heavily reference these styles within the span of just one track. As cutting edge and intriguing as this may seem, the masses have found him hard to digest. His debut album, New Sacred Cow, released in 2003, sold under 50,000 copies, but managed to find critical acclaim and a small yet dedicated fan base. Even author Malcolm Gladwell outlined the situation in his book Blink, dedicating a whole section to Kenna entitled “Kenna’s Dilemma.”

Subsequent to the release of his debut album, Kenna went on tour as the opening act for Dave Gahan, which I thought was pretty rad. Over the last few years he’s done some great guest appearances, and I most recently heard him as a guest vocalist on Mark Ronson’s album, “Version”, doing a funked-out cover of the Ryan Adams’ track “Amy”.

So here we are, four years later, with a new Kenna album, “Make Sure They See My Face.” Returning in the production corner for Round 2 was the Neptunes’ Chad Hugo (a childhood friend of Kenna), and also a guest production appearance from Hugo’s more “media-saturated” partner, Pharrell Williams. “Make Sure They See My Face” is a very calculated attempt at mainstream success, but what strikes me most is Kenna’s refusal to give in to genre, his musical talent giving him just enough reassurance to stay fearless. Does the album succeed? At this point, my feelings are mixed. Personally, I do feel that some of the tracks are in “ground-breaking” territory, but the album is too uneven to be considered a masterpiece. He still has yet to find the vision in his many styles and voices, but his ambition and his genuine passion make his career a great journey to be a part of. Who knows if Kenna will ever find mainstream success, but then who the hell cares? If he keeps making quality music, then I’ll keep shaking my ass. And if this album’s an indication of what’s to come… then it’ll keep getting better.

I’ve included two songs that I feel really capture the range of Kenna’s work. “Daylight” is the opening track of the album, and I think it’s a great testament to what Kenna’s trying to sonically achieve. As for “Better Wise Up”, I really love the hip hop beat that makes its way towards Radiohead territory by the end
of the track.

Daylight

Better Wise Up

Buy Kenna’s Make Sure They See My Face on Amazon.com