“Make Sure They See My Face” is the 2nd and newest album from experimental singer Kenna.  Born in Ethiopia, Kenna eventually settled in Virginia Beach, home to superstar producers Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams, together known as The Neptunes.  Kenna has utilized the production skills of Hugo since his first album “New Sacred Cow”, and this new disc is no exception; Hugo produced and co-wrote the vast majority of the album with Kenna, alongside cohort Williams who handles production and co-writing on a couple of tracks. Partially due to this, the singer has been garnering substantial buzz since his debut, which has been steadily growing despite not materializing into mainstream success as of yet.  Such an association may actually be hurting the newcomer, since his latest disc is anything but tailored for the tastes of pop and mainstream Hip-Hop fans. Despite the credentials employed here, “Make Sure They See My Face” is nowhere near a typical Neptunes- produced record.  Kenna’s voice is strong, passionate and emotive, befitting more rock and electronica- based sounds.  His melodic vocals bring to mind an updated, modern combination of popular rock and synth- pop singers of the 80s and 90s, such as Depeche Mode’s Dave Gahan or U2’s Bono (who seems the closeststylistic relative in terms of vocal style).  While these genres form a core of Kenna’s sound, the record is sonically quite experimental, taking a broad approach that mixes elements of House, Soul, Hip Hop, and Hard Rock into a melting pot until they blend together.  

While the album has a general feel akin to dark, electronically-inclined Pop-Rock, the disc is more than the sum of its parts.  What Kenna and the Neptuneshave come up with is a reinterpreted, artsy take on the aforementioned styles, which comes off sounding genuinely new and fresh. The album has the overall drive and “live” feel of a Rock record, despite being anchored by Hip-Hop’s heavyweights.  While the results are creative and interesting, not every piece of the puzzle works.  Certain tracks seem to crave a sense of clarity and sonic intent, yet get mired down in confusing genre experiments that end up sounding muddy and ambiguous. Kenna’s voice also finds occasional trouble fitting the beats, possibly since his style of singing is steady and defined, while the music often comes out of left field, with mixed results.  Regardless, “Make Sure They See My Face” generally pleases, due to the majority of the track’s artful combination of distinct vocals and creative musicianship.   The unsuccessful moments can be chocked up to growing pains; Kenna is still finding his sound here, although the results are very close.  

Grade: B

Reviewed By: Nick Handman