Mozaik

Amazon.co.uk Like contemporaries, Lynden David Hall and Lewis Taylor, Leigh Stephen Kenny has fashioned an anti-image of bruised vulnerability and machismo-free bonhomie; complete with subject matter teeming with modern morality. The title refers both to his multi-racial background and musical soup of funk, hip-hop, soul, reggae, rock and Latin. Unfortunately this open-minded approach isn't enough to lift Kenny out of the ordinary. Although he may sing as if he means every word of his debut, Mosaic surfs the line between bland easy listening and full-on pastiche. Many of the songs betray origins as rehearsal-room jams--looping bass lines, unresolved riffs and melodies that meander rather than navigate. But his real weakness is his inability to sing as himself; when he's not rapping utter cobblers he's crooning about life's many crises in a quasi-Jamaican accent. Despite this, Mosaicdoes have some highlights beneath it's coffee table veneer: Kenny's debut single, "Roots (The Fruits of Many)" is the closest we get to heartfelt, luminous soul and his cover version of Bill Withers' "U" fully embraces the gritty, expressive original with oodles of charm. Although Mosaic isn't innovative, lacks cohesion and suffers from affected quirks, the stoned ambience and rootsy eclecticism may appeal to fans of Finley Quaye's Maverick A Strike. --Maxine Kabuubi Product description Lsk - Mozaik