Matt Kennon was one of 2009’s more beguiling newcomers to emerge in 2009.  He has a rough voice with just enough twang to remind you why they call him music country. His debut single, The Call, is the perfect showcase for him.  It is a powerful and proud song, teetering on the edge of sappy that gets pulled back by Kennon’s powerful, roughshod vocal performance.  While he is not quite in Jamey Johnston territory yet, Kennon does have a style and a sound that makes him stand out in sharp contrast in a sea of sweet, polished male vocalists. 

The song hinges upon two phone calls, one inadvertent and the other intentional.  In the first verse a guy interrupts his best friend’s suicide attempt with news of a party.  In the second verse a guy convinces a girlfriend to cancel her abortion because he decides he is ready to have a baby.  On the surface, each of these verses has a few minor flaws.  One has to wonder about a suicide attempt which can be so lightly derailed and, like most mainstream stories; we aren’t supposed to question teenage parenthood as the superior choice for pregnant teens.  However, Kennon sells it.  He takes you past the point where you pull apart the lyrics with logic and into his world where you can feel the story unfurl.  It’s an uncommon talent, and one that Kennon will hopefully continue to find songs worthy of.

The Call has barely made a dent on the mainstream country charts (so far), so it is currently easy to call Matt Kennon a fluke or write him off as another tried-but-failed artist.  But it is easy to forget that once upon a time most singers only made it into the mid 40’s with their first billboard single.  This was an era when singers got a little bit higher with each single release and when careers could last for decades.  Perhaps Matt Kennon is about to start a resurgence of career artists.  Or, perhaps he is about to fall into that region between Americana and Country that contains Pat Green, Charlie and Bruce Robison, Elizabeth Cook and Ashton Sheppard.  Either way, let’s hope he continues to make new music for a very long time.