Kenny Hughes // Born & Raised // Album Review

South African Blues-Rocker Kenny Hughes returns with his new album ‘Born & Raised’ on January 19^th.I Immediately I thought to myself, #controversial as I pondered if this could be an homage to the great John Mayer and his 2012 Columbia Records recording. Still, as

As soon as you hit play and the glorious Fender Strat tones envelope you on the album’s opening track “All Over Me”, you know that this is signature Kenny Hughes. The bluesy vibe and funky rhythm open the door and welcome you in.

Kenny’s sultry-sounding vocals kick in and pulls it all together, “She Knows” carries in the same vein, those funky wha-wha infused nuances coming back and forth across the track just make you smile, the intricate drum patterns keeping you on your toes. Kenny certainly has his own thing going on, his own identity which he seems to revel in which s great to see, too often you can artists struggling to make their mark, establish a sound that you can immediately identify as their sound, but not here, Kenny has honed in on a vibe that resonates across the album allowing it to ebb and flow showcasing his songwriting at its best.

The album as a whole is an easy-on-the-ear melodic tour-de-force that will no doubt strengthen Kenny’s reputation in S.A. and beyond, you can easily imagine these tracks translating to the live setting and a sea of bodies swaying soaking up the glorious tunes pumping out of the P.A.

I can hear similarities with a young Oli Brown, a British blues legend and rocker with Raveneye/Oli Brown & The Dead Collective, Oli in his early days would have enveloped himself in a soulful, bluesy songwriting journey that I can hear on this album and tracks like “Wicked Ways” in particular.

Kenny’s dark, emotive vibe is constantly there, with multi-layered tracks that build and build you just can’t fault the passion and intensity which has been poured into this album, it’s a testament to a young man who is holding nothing back in chasing his dream and making it happen for himself.

Kenny Hughes’s new album “Born & Raised” arrives January 19^th, it packs a punch and is well worth your hard-earned money.

Stream ‘Born & Raised’ > https://linktr.ee/kennyhughes

Born & Raised Track Listing: