[livemusic]

Does anyone know if there is anything 'wrong' with Colter Wall? When he sings, it's like it is actually painful to sing! Not being flippant, I am truly curious. Here is an example below. He certainly has a most unusual voice, a voice that can definitely advance a career from its sheer uniqueness. I wonder if his throat plumbing is 'normal' or injured or something, lol. He's a good writer, too, I'd bet he's got a lifelong career in the bag.

https://www.youtube....h?v=hCebq5lLgos

[olie]

It seems to me that he's trying to be the reincarnation of Johnny Cash or something.His guitar sounds like a cardboard box with strings ,too. But I'm betting he's got a following.As they say in France-"A chacun son gout." Each to his own taste.

[SirNed]

Don't thing there's anything that is medically different. He just has a low, thick sounding tone. I dig it.

[madhat]

His voice is indeed DEEP when he sings! Not sure if there is something 'wrong' though.

I'm a Colter Wall fan (but I am not a modern country music fan). own 3 of his records on vinyl- amazing old soul - good story/lyrical songs.

madhat.

[ThemisSal]

I think he has an interesting voice. I thing Grunt posted this a year back. Surprising that THAT voice comes out of that ‘lil guy. Ya expect it to come from CHRIS Stapleton, and only after he has been out all night and smoked thirteen Marlboro reds in a row.

[dhanners623]

It strikes me as more of an affectation. There's a whole crop of singers out there who do strange things to their voices or sing out of the side of their mouths so they don't sound "normal." Brett Dennen. Charlie Parr. Carrie Rodriguez. Heck, I'd probably do it if I thought I could get away with it. It's all about standing out.

A few years back, Americana artist Mary Lou Lord complained on Facebook about the style. She posted a video of the aforementioned Dennen, and asked, "who the @&$!#* talks like that?!?" Except she was more blunt. She complained about Dennen and other singers whose voice, phrasing and weird-*** pronunciation twist things into incomprehensibility. One of the words she used to describe it was "mumbletwang." Said it drove her nuts because that's not how people talk.

While Wall certainly has a deep speaking voice, it's not quite as affected as his singing voice:

This post has been edited by dhanners623: 09 November 2018 - 01:48 AM

[blindboygrunt]

I remember my dad questioning most of the music coming out of my bedroom when I was a kid

That’s not music. That guy can’t even sing

I’d rather hear a Coulter wall than a Kenny chesney any day

[Jinder]

He’s one of the best of the current crop, that’s for sure.

I love this style of writing, and I mean no slight to Colter here, but can’t help but feel that Townes really wrote the book on it close to 50yrs ago. There is always room in the world for more minor key country laments about love, death, hell and trains though, and I’m no stranger to that way of writing myself.

[Mr. Paul]

New fan of Colter Wall here after picking up his first two records this week. Like the songwriting a lot, his voice isn't for everyone but it is unique and he's doing well. His show in Denver will be in a 1600 seat theater.

[ThemisSal]

The song is a familiar theme in country too...

Dwight Yoakam treated it this way

[FemmeParallell]

First time listening to this guy, really liked him!

[MissouriPicker]

Glad to be introduced to this guy. He’s certainly a different flavor from all these boy bands and hick-hoppers over-running the country scene. The guy even claims to be a folksinger. In an era of pretty boys and wanna-be rappers, he sounds original. I like him and Ii like the gritty sound of his guitar. I hope he’s very successful and around for a long time.

This post has been edited by MissouriPicker: 12 November 2018 - 03:41 PM

[Jim Wilson]

While I'm not crazy about his vocal style, I do admire the fact that he's not trying to be a copycat...like so many others. I do like his picking.

[livemusic]

dhanners623, on 09 November 2018 - 01:06 AM, said:

It strikes me as more of an affectation. There's a whole crop of singers out there who do strange things to their voices or sing out of the side of their mouths so they don't sound "normal." Brett Dennen. Charlie Parr. Carrie Rodriguez. Heck, I'd probably do it if I thought I could get away with it. It's all about standing out.

A few years back, Americana artist Mary Lou Lord complained on Facebook about the style. She posted a video of the aforementioned Dennen, and asked, "who the @&$!#* talks like that?!?" Except she was more blunt. She complained about Dennen and other singers whose voice, phrasing and weird-*** pronunciation twist things into incomprehensibility. One of the words she used to describe it was "mumbletwang." Said it drove her nuts because that's not how people talk.

While Wall certainly has a deep speaking voice, it's not quite as affected as his singing voice:

David, thanks for the video. I have had his cd's for over a year now and I have not heard him speak in an interview, so, that is enlightening. His speaking voice is very deep, indeed, but he doesn't have that 'catch' he has when he sings (and appears to be in pain lol). I worried he has polyps or something, lol. I really like the guy, his voice, his playing, his writing.

Your comment about Mary Lou Ford complaining, I am going to have to check into what all she said because it is EXACTLY the conversation I had with a friend just yesterday. I was complaining about certain artists who mumble. I told him I take great pains to when I sing, to enunciate. If I have any strong point, I think it is that you can probably understand my sung words. I told my friend that since I have been on a Bob Dylan kick for quite awhile now, one thing most definite about early Dylan is you can understand every word. A lot of the times you heard one of these artists mumble, it has to do with them trying to evoke a style, putting angst or blues or whatever into it and it covers up their diction.

This post has been edited by livemusic: 12 November 2018 - 05:35 PM

[olie]

Jim Wilson, on 12 November 2018 - 03:45 PM, said:

While I'm not crazy about his vocal style, I do admire the fact that he's not trying to be a copycat...like so many others. I do like his picking.

You don't find his sound redolent of any American legends? I'm betting HE does.

[MissouriPicker]

I don't think it matters if he sounds like someone else. If someone doesn't like him because he has a deep voice, so what? The guy does have a deep and rough voice. Ever heard of The Statler Brothers? Harold Reid has one of the deepest voices ever and he's not sounding like anyone but himself. Surmising that Wall is changing his voice when he sings means nothing, because whither he is or not doesn't mean anything either. Guessing that he has polyps or some medical condition means nothing either. Cash, Dolly Parton, Sinatra, Dean Martin, Judy Collins, and literally countless other singers have had them. ........ I've had people tell me that I sound different singing than what they expect after hearing me talk, and I'm not trying to sound like anyone. I'm just singing in the key that works for me on a particular song.

[dhanners623]

What Wall has going for him is authenticity. When I look at people who are my favorite vocalists -- John Prine, the late Bill Morrissey and Gram Parsons, Johnny Cash, Lucinda Williams, Nanci Griffith and Steve Earle, to name a few -- they lack what one might consider a "good" or even "pleasant" voice, but they sound real. They sing with authenticity.

Sometimes when I drag my wife out to an open mic (she neither plays nor sings, but is a good sport) she'll hear some of the women performers mumble their lyrics and throw some sort of affectation into their voice, which my wife dubs, "Female Angst." I usually know it's time to go when that happens.

I have never liked my singing voice, and from time to time I've tried some technique to make it sound different, but nothing has ever worked. So at least what I do is authentic to me. It sucks, but at least it's me.