In the past three years, Kennebec has become one of the most dynamic and promising bands in the Raleigh area, infusing their country/folk roots with a lean, polished pop-rock sound that has garnered the attention and respect of the music community. Formed in 2000, the group is now a force to be reckoned with on-stage: the sophisticated pop balladry of front man Troy Smith given weight and dimension by the ground-shaking percussion of Mike Rosado and the searing guitar-work of Jesse Huebner. Supporting Smith on vocals is fellow songwriter Jeramy Blackford, whose well-trained soprano compliments Smith's throaty growl and swaggering stage presence.  But while Kennebec are seasoned performers that can hammer their way through a twenty song set, the band's real strength lies in the size and diversity of their catalogue. Smith and Blackford have written five songs for each one the band has recorded, and their sense of rhythm, genre, and storytelling has given their sound fertile ground in which to grow. And the variety of song styling is to be admired: the country-twang of the Beatles-esque When the Morning Comes; the vicious, wrath-of-god stomp of Sanctuary; the tough-guy sweetness of the love song Black Friday are few examples of the band's range.  In 2007, the group produced and released their first album, Kennebec, a blend of sophisticated pop, country and rock that showcases the song-writing strengths of Smith and Blackford and the chops of a band that likes to perform, and knows how.

--Nick Bowden (FV Independent)