Make Sure They See My Face

Face remains a giddy, guilt-free taste of electro-pop that single-handedly renders Kenna as a force to be reckoned with.

The greatest thrill, however, is that Kenna's square-peg edges still never quite line up with the mainstream hole.

He remains a singular performer, one who can't be overwhelmed by the usual Neptunes production. Williams' typically sparse 'Loose Wires' sounds simultaneously like Kenna's surefire smash--how could that Michael Jackson-inspired hook miss?--and the proof, thanks to its android-crooning verses, that the world will only see Kenna's face on his own, refreshingly distinctive, terms.

The striking thing about Make Sure They See My Face, then, is how reassuringly familiar it feels.

There's no getting past the fact that the oft-delayed Make Sure They See My Face feels like a compromised work. The Neptunes know Kenna has talent; they're just looking for a way to sell it. If so, then at least the formula is tried and true. Everything about the album is impeccably produced.

Kenna has the indie roots to bridge the gap between pop and everything left of center. This effort has already created some stir between the two. My only concern is that the album's lack of balance may make for a one hitter quitter.

Make Sure They See My Face is overdressed to impress when easing up may have been the best way to ease back into the public consciousness.

The songs aren't terribly memorable, but several cuts offer imaginative mash-ups.

Stylistically, it's all over the place, but he doesn't deserve to fall this time round. [June 2008, p.145]

This isn't quite sensitive arena balladry, and it's not quite a disco party, and that's emblematic of both this album's biggest problem and its greatest strength.