Mo Kenney

It has taken a while for the debut album of this Nova Scotian singer-songwriter to appear over here, but here it is – a sturdy piece of work with youth, talent and strong influences (the music of Elliott Smith, the films of Wes Anderson) at the centre of it. A rising star in Canada (she won the SOCAN Songwriting Prize for Best Song last year, and nabbed the New Artist of 2013 at the Canadian Folk Music Awards), 23-year-old Kenney has a knack of making something fresh out of familiar constituent parts. She is helped by a voice that is far removed from the usual, sensitively engaging with this genre. Indeed, in songs such as Eden, The Great Escape, I Can't Talk, Scene of the Crime and In My Lungs, lyrical intensity is matched by vocals as commanding as a parade ground sergeant's. mokenney.com
Download: The Great Escape, Scene of the Crime, In My Lungs