Matt Kennon (BamaJam, 2010)

The 12 songs on Matt Kennon's debut full length may vary in style or in subject matter, but every single one is stamped with Kennon's unique, deep, gravelly voice. Four songs - all solid - released on "The Call" EP are included here as well: The Call, Some People P*ss Me Off, You Can Still Wear White and The Man I Used To Be.

That said, "Matt Kennon" is a great country-rock album, from stem to stern. This is a guy with deep feelings and strong emotions. Tailor-made for a NASCAR event, Drive It Like You Stole It is a Waylon Jennings-esque Southern rocker with guitars, growls and fiddles and a great song to kick off this disc by the Georgia native.

Mama Raised the Hell Outta Me is kind of like Merle Haggard's Mama Tried, except in Kennon's case, his mama succeeded in making sure her boy was raised right. Kennon sings If I Was Any Kind of Man with a conviction not often heard on a country rocker such as this. Two 12-inch speakers pounding AC/DC's You Shook Me All Night Long are good things in the punchy Too Loud before slowing things down just a little bit on Then There Was You.

While Kennon's strength is all-too clear on the uptempo, tough-talkin' tunes, Kennon really shines on Cry Like Memphis, a blues-country ballad that is reminiscent of the late Jeff Healey.

For those who like a voice that is a little different and song lyrics that dig a little deeper, this self-titled album may be what the music doctor ordered.