Kenny Fame – Soul Of A Man

Kenny Fame – Soul Of A Man – EP Review

I cannot tell you any lies dear readers…when I saw the name Kenny Fame pop up into my inbox…I was honestly a little surprised! In retrospect, maybe I shouldn’t have been; the number one attribute in Kenny Fame is his willingness to develop, refine and better this talents and learn every aspect of the craft he truly loves. Our last review on his album Fame Whore doled out a little harshness in a memorable way for me…and I’ve not forgotten the name ever since. To say it’s brave to come back to our pages is both a true statement and a commendable choice…Fame has displayed a fearlessness in the past in his approach to put his music out there and it seems that same heart is beating loud & proud inside him today as I’ve now got my hands on his latest EP, Soul Of A Man.

In my humble opinion…I think the improvement in Kenny Fame is completely noticeable! I wasn’t sure that I’d be in for that to be truthful…but right away you can hear that Fame is concentrated on his tone and melodies from the moment that I got into “Broken Valentine,” the first track I got myself into. You’ll have to forgive me…I think I’ve got myself a pre-release here and I might not have the finalized track-order right…you’re getting this all in the order it comes out of my playlist today. Excellent vibe in the music that Fame inserts himself into smartly…it’s still not perfect, but man he is SO MUCH closer to it than I’ve heard in the past or could have been expecting this time around. Gradual steps are normal…Fame has jumped, hopped and skipped right to the edge of success. “Broken Valentine,” is the toughest on I found on the EP as far as his vocals are concerned…but much like on Fame Whore on his album prior, it’s those lower notes that he has a tougher time putting the power into. Again, that being said, it might lack a little power but the tone is much, much more solid.

“On The Subway” came at me next; musically-smooth like your favourite drink in the summer, the sweetly-toned guitars and their gentle melodies set the stage for yet another good flow from Fame. Up in the higher end of his vocal range sees Kenny achieving the sounds that match the music nearly perfectly all the way through – but this is truly the style/sound that works for him best on full display in “On The Subway.”

I mean…Kenny…if I didn’t know any better I’d accuse you of really singing it out here on this EP…quite successfully I might add. I like the approach you took on “She’s A Runner,” the verse is a bit tougher than the chorus…especially the second verse…but LISTEN to the way that you’re hitting the chorus my friend…you’re right on your tone there. If I had one other criticism that reflects more of a personal-taste than a flaw in the music…it’s that the chorus structures of these four songs when placed together are noticeably similar. As in…I’m saying get out your pad of paper and pen & grab thesaurus and get some more words in there Kenny! The simplified hooks work well…and they’ll assuredly pull more people in this time around through Fame’s more confident execution in his performance…but in my opinion you gotta put some meat on that bone or we get what we need too quickly and start looking for the next – know what I mean? I simply cannot stress enough just how improved the music, the vocal-tone, the performances…it’s all soooooo much better now; but that risk with simple, good-time pop is that our ears eat it like candy – a little more dimension to the lyrics in the hooks might add more than he’s expecting.

Now…my guess is that the final track I’m reviewing could quite possibly be the first…this sounds like a single immediately. “We Came To Play” is either the perfect opening or the epic ending that this EP deserves…I’d be surprised to find it in the middle… Anyhow, whatever order it comes in doesn’t help me here at the moment.

What DOES help me…is that the order I’ve popped it open in here on this particular playlist has got Fame absolutely jamming out this last track in a perfectly-pop style. I’d in fact be altogether shocked if this wasn’t the intended single – he’s got this final song I’m listening to nailed 100%; what a great way to end my second experience with this artist who has definitely shown massive growth through pure intentions. Up-tempo and laced with R&B and funk – “We Came To Play” is a real statement from Fame…he’s hungrier and more determined than most artists you’ll be lucky enough to meet.

And when you put the hard-work & determination into what you truly love to do…you get fantastic results like Kenny Fame has on his Soul Of A Man EP.

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