Mo Kenney has been making waves in the music scene recently, opening shows for Joel Plaskett and Ron Sexsmith. And rightfully so. What a voice! Mo, a folky singer-songwriter, sounds something like a female version of Justin Rutledge or an acoustic Matt Mays. The Nova Scotia native played many of the songs featured on her self-titled debut album, released in September of 2012, at the Great Hall on Thursday night. She kept the audience in rapt attention, even when her vocal mic cut out for a song.
The audience crept in as she moved to the front of the stage, eager to hear every word. At just 22 years old, she is already well versed at writing songs with catchy tunes, well thought-out lyrics and interesting accompaniment. She sings with strength and a beautiful tone, and can finger pick like the best of them, which allows for versatile guitar parts that are rhythmic and often melodic. This is emotional music to reflect on, to sing along with and sometimes even to dance to with unstoppable numbers like “Déjà Vu,” a scaled down version of which can be seen here in a live video with Joel Plaskett (who produced her album).
http://youtu.be/_4L4eoPWxG4
Photos by Chris Zacchia, for more Canadian Music Week Photos check out ForgetTheBox on Facebook
