"If music had a quota system, then the category of singer- songwriter would be closed due to overcrowding. Thankfully there isn"t, because Cam Penner and his emotional songs of lives lived and experiences endured and enjoyed deserve to be heard in all their stoical splendour."
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Irish Times
““From the worn edge in his voice to the wired and sleepy guitar picking...the excellent songs and his stripped-down, folk
Americana is straight forward and deceptively simple.” 4 STARS”
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MOJO Magazine
"Further proof that the best Americana comes from Canada. ....the album hangs together remarkably well as a collection of spare, intense Americana, every bit as powerful as some of the big names in the genre. It deserves to bring Penner much greater recognition."
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Kai Roberts, Americana UK
““....in terms of sheer talent and musical style Cam Penner comes across as Canada’s Blaze Foley.””
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Paul E. Comeau, Penguin Eggs
"This really is a wonderful, evocative and passionate record. She's In My Head is as uplifting as the lyrics are downbeat, a road trip transposed into music. Too Tired to Pray is achingly beautiful and the perfect showcase for Penner's simple and soothing vocals while Once A Soldier shows his ability as a storyteller and easily puts him up their with Loudon Wainwright III or Tom Paxton.
"If You Love Somebody may just edge it for me as the standout track but with an album of this quality it is liable to change with every listen. This record has caught me completely by surprise and has touched me in ways that music rarely does. This is 46 minutes of honesty and beauty that is quite simply wonderful."
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The Music Critic UK
“9 Stars out of 10
"Cam Penner, then, is quite a find. From what I can gather, 'Trouble & Mercy' is rather sparser and more acoustic than his usual fare, but as heart-melting introductions to unknown artists go, it rarely gets more resonant and graceful than this. If this is what he's capable of in future, you're safe putting your trust in this guy."
Trouble & Mercy Review”
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Whisperin & Hollerin
"I have listened to hundreds of artists so far this year, so when I say Trouble and Mercy is the best album I've heard so far, I really mean that. I'm a firm believer that to write songs that move people and their emotions you need to have lived a bit and seen and experienced the suffering that life can dish up and throw at you in dusty handfuls.
"There are no fancy thrills on this album...the tracks are stripped down to allow focus on guitar and voice. The songs come across in an honest and intrinsically beautiful way that allows the sentiment in each to strike you right in the chest. I heard every word of sorrow, weariness, love, truth and tale of everday life.
Cam Penner is a storyteller from the Steinbeck / Jack London mould and if he had been around in the dustbowl era, he would have been singin' alongside the likes of Woody Guthrie.
"....I can't recommend this man enough, if you get a chance, go and see him and get Trouble and Mercy."
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Folk Radio UK
“When Canadian troubadour Cam Penner blew into London for a handful of solo shows earlier in the year, those lucky enough to see him agreed that here was something special. ”
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mulefreedom.com London UK
“Americana doesn't have to come from America, and Canadians Cam Penner and The Gravel Road prove it beyond doubt.”
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Clint Weathers - FreghtTrainBoogie.com
“There's a freshness here outside comparisons that grabs me and demands attention.”
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David Obermann, Folkways KUT Austin Texas
“This album is already one of my favorites for the year. Soulful, innovative, and insightful songs throughout.
”
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Larry Hillberg KVMR-FM Nevada City CA USA
“On the new album, he's Cam Penner all the way, an undeniable new star on the country side of Americana... However, stellar arrangements would mean little if the songs, and Penner's delivery of them, weren't so distinctive and powerful.”
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Third Coast Music
