Album Review: Brittany Kennell, I Ain’t a Saint

Brittany Kennell’s debut LP I Ain’t a Saint is a classic country cocktail full of lost love, heartbreak, cheaters, and exes. On “Most Wanted,” Kennell, a Montreal-based artist who was a contestant on The Voice in 2016, puts up wanted posters for a dreamy and elusive guy that has taken her heart hostage and on the high-flying “You Don’t Get Me Stoned,” she exhales, “I know it burns but you don’t turn me on the way I want.”

In spite of its familiar elements, I Ain’t a Saint is one of the most fun and charming country records you will hear this year. Kennell’s lyrics are sharp and playful and are paired with poppy melodies and dynamic, guitar-centric instrumentation. It often feels like she’s throwing herself a party even when sadness is a pesky guest that won’t leave. “Eat Drink Remarry” is a celebration of second chances and an antidote to shame and “Clean Break” is an anthemic number for those who channel their nervous energy into cleaning their entire home.

I Ain’t a Saint feels even more special because of the confidence Kennell radiates. Within the album’s opening minute, she sets a self-assured tone when she sings, “I’ve got things to do and none of them involve you” and her assertiveness doesn’t waiver. To close her album, she promises, “I’ll believe in love again when it takes my breath away.” Kennell is not afraid to be honest and to show her true self on I Ain’t a Saint and she does so with so much joy that it will inspire you to do the same.

I Ain’t A Saint was released September 17, 2021.
Listen to it here.