Today we basked in the sun, went out for Father’s Day to a little Italian restaurant and made sure the plants were watered in the evening. We are ambitiously growing some sunflowers from seed and are happy to see them begin to get some inches! I also reviewed the new album, a debut originals album no less, from an artist I last spoke to in early 2025, the always interesting Leoni Jane Kennedy.
Here is some background on the artist:
Leoni Jane Kennedy is a ‘PRS Guitars official artist’, multi-award winner and musical polymath creating a new wave of rock with progressive influence, described by The New York Times as ‘a welcomed portal to something passionate and powerful’. In 2018, Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor chose her to receive the ‘Freddie Mercury Scholarship’, financing her entire university tuition fees. ‘New World Woman’ was released in 2023 as an acoustic reinterpretations album of tracks by RUSH. This completely sold out and saw her touring globally. This year saw her take the No.2 placement in PROG magazine for the ‘Best New Artist’ category, just in time for her debut originals album ‘Synthetic’ to be released on June 15th after raising the funds to produce physical merchandise in just 6 days. This October, Kennedy will join blues legend Walter Trout opening for his UK tour 2026 (ticket links on the artist website, linked at the end of this review).
In 2025 Leoni told us,
“I would say this is both the best and the worst time to be a creator of music. It is the best because we have so many platforms where we can create and show the world who we are and what we are about, but where does that go?”
The answer to that is this new album, released on June 15, 2026. You can find it out there on all platforms now.
My review.
The album has seven songs and lasts just over 34 minutes.
“Synthetic” is a song for a colder day, a day spent near a forest stream perhaps. There is a contemplative and dreamy quality about the track. Later in the song it delivers a heavier beat, retaining a blend of emotions and ideas. It feels like the sort of late-night radio soundtrack that accompanies quiet moments of reflection.
“Closer” introduces a slower beat while retaining some of those ethereal qualities. The track is stripped back in many ways and I liked it enough to give it a back-to-back play. It kicks into gear in the mid-section and brings stronger rock elements into the blend. The guitar sound during this section is particularly pleasing, while the vocals have a clear emotional connection to the lyrics.
“Sloe” is a slow-burning track and it brought the word Celtic to the fore in my mind. It also blends touches of the blues into its lyricism as Leoni expresses a desire to walk to the river. Around the 1:46 mark the song takes a turn that reminded me a little of Sting’s solo work. Her songwriting is rooted in locality and nature, and that comes through strongly here.
“Jesse” is a neatly crafted folk song with a subtle funky edge. It has an intimate feel, with a gentle chorus and background vocals that add to the track nicely.
“Test the Water” is the most rock-oriented number on the album. It is a catchy track and easy to get into. If I were programming a commercial radio station, this would be the one I would play. It shows off what Leoni can do, with confident guitar work and pleasing vocals throughout. It is my personal favourite on the album.
“Different Kind of Woman” returns to a darker folk and blues-influenced feel. It is about escaping—or perhaps not escaping—the look in his eye and being alone with your thoughts and fears. The song carries a message of personal struggle and resilience rather than surrendering to tears. It is another intimate track, personal in nature and rich in storytelling. The album is ending strongly at this point, and this song features some of the best guitar work on the record.
“Temple” closes the album with a sense of older days and gathering clouds. It is a song for getting home before the rain begins and the witching hour descends. A sad song, perhaps best suited to winter, yet finding me on a summer’s night.
With “Synthetic”, Leoni Jane Kennedy has delivered a debut originals album that feels deeply personal and refreshingly unhurried. Rather than chasing trends or radio formulas, these seven songs are allowed to breathe, drawing inspiration from nature, reflection and lived experience. The result is a collection that rewards careful listening and reveals new details with each return visit.
For me, “Test the Water” stands out as the album’s most immediate track, but the real strength of “Synthetic” lies in the atmosphere it creates across its thirty-four-minute running time. There is a consistency of mood here that will appeal to listeners who enjoy thoughtful songwriting, expressive guitar work and music that values emotion over excess.
A quietly confident debut that suggests Leoni Jane Kennedy’s journey as a songwriter is only just beginning.
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Artist website here
Stream music by Leoni Jane Kennedy here
By Lorraine Foley
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