Album Review – Born & Raised by Kenny Hughes

Album Review – Born & Raised by Kenny Hughes – If you are one of those music lovers who tends to snub blues/rock music, thinking it’s just not your thing, I challenge you to give ‘Born & Raised’ from Kenny Hughes a go. This may be your breakthrough to a new found admiration for a more complex yet deliciously mellow genre.

The nine-track offering unpacks a musical voyage that offers a birds-eye view to Kenny’s masterful art. As a songwriter, and as a musician. Each track, proverbial snapshots of events & ponderings from a career spanning his many years as an artist, intricately penned to foot tapping beats and wholesome, bluesy riffs from one of South Africa’s most renowned blues/rock musicians.

Born & Raised

The album opens with ‘All Over Me, a sultry track with a catchy riff and enticing lyrics, originally written to impress a lady of interest. I’m quite sure he earned the required brownie points. The sexual energy comes across strong with this one as it showcases Kenny’s ability to effectively instil the required emotion and mood into his writing.

‘She knows’ includes producer, Evert Snyman and is a far more upbeat song conveying a powerful message. A warning if you will. For mankind to heed the earth and our impending fall if we don’t wake up to humanities destruction of the elements and our surroundings.

‘19:20’ flaunts Kenny’s vocal prowess perfectly, at the same time, the incredible skill and command he has over his guitar. Leaning more towards the rock genre, it is a certified get up and move track with hints of ‘The Black Crowes’ coming across.

‘Destiny’ plays on a funky upbeat blues bassline, while ‘Wicked Ways’ takes us in the opposite direction and down a few notches with smooth, melodic inclinations matching the perfect entanglement of guitar – serving up a soul satisfying listen.

‘Midnight Man’ exhibits a rawer kind of vibe, which isn’t surprising based on the theme behind the song. The gathering of musicians coming to life after midnight. A jam session, unhindered and free and influenced by the energy of the night. As the world sleeps and instruments become conductors of this magical and uninhibited energy. The track also features the ever-talented Evert Snyman.

‘Run Along’ is another rocking fusion of bluesy rock, with emphasis on the rock! Showcasing a bold main riff and paying homage to Kenny’s personal guitar heroes such as Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, and John Mayer.

‘Blues Truth’ meets the listeners ear with a seductive and dreamy tempo, well-paced and beautifully hypnotic, the epitome of true blues! It also happens to be the very first song Kenny wrote and speaks of the misconceptions of being a full-time musician and the overrated glamour thereof.

The final track on this masterpiece that is ‘Born & Raised’, ‘Last Stand,’ comes across as a strong statement or declaration – a final note that this is more than just an album.

This is him. This IS Kenny Hughes!

The music, the hardships, the trials and tribulations, the sleepless nights, the passion and the applause! This is everything that makes him, and, sometimes, breaks him.

The track is the ideal exit to a phenomenal journey taken with Kenny on ‘Born & Raised’. And I get it. I get him. And I am moved.

Stream ‘Born & Raised‘ HERE

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