Rating:
Genre:
Folk
Release Date: 09/19/2006
Occasionally, one comes across a male vocalist who has a very female style of singing and actually sounds like he could be a woman -- and that can be an artistic plus. It has certainly worked well for
Jimmy Scott, one of the finest male
jazz vocalists of all time. And having a female-sounding voice is also a positive for
singer/songwriter Brett Dennen, whose
So Much More demonstrates that he shares
Scott's strong appreciation of
Billie Holiday. But unlike
Scott,
Dennen is not a
jazz singer; his turf is
folk-rock, and
Tracy Chapman is as strong an influence -- or an even stronger influence -- than
Lady Day. The
Holiday influence asserts itself in his vocal phrasing but not stylistically or genre-wise;
Chapman, however, has influenced
Dennen's songwriting in addition to influencing his soulful phrasing. The feminine quality that
Dennen brings to his introspective, sometimes melancholy performances doesn't mean that he is devoid of male influences; discerning listeners will also hear traces of
Bob Dylan and
Dave Matthews in his material (
Dennen clearly shares
Matthews' appreciation of African
pop). And none of these influences -- either female or male -- are people
Dennen goes out of his way to emulate; it's clear that
Dennen is his own person whether he is reflecting on romantic matters or sociopolitical concerns. Gratefully,
Dennen avoids being preachy on his more sociopolitical lyrics; his approach is understated and subtle, and he doesn't come across as someone who is getting on a soapbox and beating listeners over the head with his beliefs.
So Much More isn't quite as consistent as it could have been -- some of the tracks are excellent, others not as memorable -- but overall, this 2006 release shows
Dennen to be an intriguing and expressive part of
folk-rock.
~Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
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