What do you think about my band's singer?

[DieterVDW]

The music's not really my thing but doesn't sound bad.
The singing is pretty awful though. Timbre and way of singing are fine with my if that's your style.
But pitch-wise it sounds like he's deliberatly trying to sing out of tune.
It actually sounds like when in a movie an actor is playing somebody who can't sing.
Not a bit off, but completely over-the-top tone deaf :s .

I applaud your guys enthousiasm and hope you can straighten out the singer!
If he doesn't hear it now though, it's gonna be a tough ride :s .

 

[aggrokragg]

Couple things:

Your singer is off-key for sure. He could really embrace it though. Just don't write anymore ballads.
I'd suggest he check out the bands Saint Vitus and Harvey Milk as examples of making that style work.

Also, is he taking lessons pre or post-recordings? If it's pre, tell him to find a new teacher to spend his $$$ on. You guys are young so keep practicing and use criticism as fuel to keep getting better.

 

[rtav]

I call POE! (google it)

It's fine to get an opinion about your singer. Ask a drunk and increasingly attractive crowd at last call. Ask your average radio listener. Ask your hair stylist. Ask your mom.

But DO NOT - I repeat DO NOT ASK MUSICIANS for an opinion on your singer.

The reason is simple. Musicians know people who CAN sing. People who have no pitch control issues. People who can interpret lyrics, adding inflection, drawing out meaning from the lyrics with variations to their vocal style (raspy, light, angry, pleading, etc.) People who do more than try (and fail) to talk in pitch. People who can sustain and trill notes. People who can OWN a song from start to finish. People who can really SING.

You know, SINGERS.

Coming from a musician in a forum FULL of musicians, I can promise you that you do NOT have a singer because he is not and, based on this very small sample, cannot sing. You may have a lot of things: performer, entertainer, even (stretching it) a vocalist, but you do not have a singer who is singing.

My $$$ is no Poe. This can't be serious.

 

[Joe Nerve]

POE is not Google-able due to some Edgar guy. What are you talking about?

 

[eric_B]

POE is not Google-able due to some Edgar guy. What are you talking about?

Try Poe's law.

My $$$ is no Poe. This can't be serious.

Well, then they sure put a lot of effort into that. Did you check their FB page?

 

[altarsofmadness]

I call POE! (google it)

It's fine to get an opinion about your singer. Ask a drunk and increasingly attractive crowd at last call. Ask your average radio listener. Ask your hair stylist. Ask your mom.

But DO NOT - I repeat DO NOT ASK MUSICIANS for an opinion on your singer.

The reason is simple. Musicians know people who CAN sing. People who have no pitch control issues. People who can interpret lyrics, adding inflection, drawing out meaning from the lyrics with variations to their vocal style (raspy, light, angry, pleading, etc.) People who do more than try (and fail) to talk in pitch. People who can sustain and trill notes. People who can OWN a song from start to finish. People who can really SING.

You know, SINGERS.

Coming from a musician in a forum FULL of musicians, I can promise you that you do NOT have a singer because he is not and, based on this very small sample, cannot sing. You may have a lot of things: performer, entertainer, even (stretching it) a vocalist, but you do not have a singer who is singing.

My $$$ is no Poe. This can't be serious.

Well, we take ourselves as seriously as we can....

 

[groovaholic]

I'm alright with his voice; it reminded me of Joe Strummer from the Clash.
Joe wasn't a great singer, but he was an iconic frontman.

But yes, your singer needs to work on his pitch.
He's like a bass with cool tone, but intonation issues.

Also, the production seemed a bit schizophrenic -- the singing approach and bass tone seemed to be kinda emo metal, but the keys and guitar seemed like a "power ballad"...My Chemical Romance mixing it up with Use Your Illusion-era Guns & Roses.

You have a chord progression; the verses are written -- now you need to write a chorus, maybe a bridge, something to give the song more dynamics and balance.

It's not a lost cause, but it's definitely a "work in progress" rather than a finished product.

 

[Biggbass]

In all honesty, from a producer's perspective...and please don't take this as a beating down,
but you did ask for opinions;

The drums and bass are the only salvageable elements in this track.
The rest of the tracks issues are obvious.

Here's what I would suggest,

1) Find a new singer.
2) get a keyboardist who actually knows how to play piano or go without keys
3) rethink your production - if the performance isn't there to begin with nothing is going to turn
straw into gold...not even heavy reverb. You're just working in a 'lipstick on a pig' scenario.

 

[smeet]

I think a lot of people are inserting their own tastes into the comments in this thread, and of course that is unavoidable. But rock and other new folk music is often about breaking with tradition, even with tradition as venerable as "singing in tune". I'm being totally serious here. In some contexts, I'm a classical/jazz/fusion snob who cares a great deal about intonation. I think Ron Carter has crappy intonation, because he plays in a genre and with a style that needs proper intonation to make it work. He doesn't play "punk jazz". This music edges toward punk, and in that context, often a trained and polished musician actually sounds out of place. I would play that up. The vocalist should keep learning to control his pitch, but that doesn't mean he should sing with what others consider proper intonation. Rather, he should sing however he does on purpose and not by mistake.

Anne Murray nails hers in one take. Neil Young comes in and...ouch! David Foster gets on the intercom from the control room. "Neil, you're flat." Neil replies, "That's my style, man!"

There is a great lesson (or a few) to be learned here. Neil Young sometimes sings way off key. But he sometimes harmonizes beautifully (as in CSNY), so he can do it. More importantly, he is one of those singers that can bring an audience to tears with the emotionality and tone of his voice. Anne Murray sings in tune with great technique, and could never hope to wrench peoples' hearts in that way. I know which one I would want to listen to.

Another example: the B52s would NOT benefit from a more "in-tune" singer, he is perfect for them, and they sound great IMHO.

 

[Biggbass]

I think comparing this singer to Neil Young, or anyone else is misleading. Yes, it's good to have a style
and uniqueness - Iggy Pop, Fred Schneider, or David Byrne all being great examples of lead singers who crafted an art by developing interesting, atypical singing styles. But I think a big separating factor is the talent level exampled in the posted song, vocally, instrumentally (piano), and creatively (songwriting). It goes without saying that those who don't care for this particular singer's performance or style are probably not the target audience for the OPs band. However, the recording posted would indicate that this is as good as it's going to get with this group of people behind the instruments and vocals, and the factors that are missing to take it a a level of marketability are all talent related. Considering that the world is full of people all trying to be the next big thing, the amount of competition for that level of recognition demands greatness or the chance of rising thru the clutter is zero. For the sake of friendly argument, strip it down to the basic essentials...The Ramones - doesn't get much more basic than that. Yet impactful, powerful, infectious, and with the perfect timing of presenting a product to the world that the world was hungry for...all of that equals Greatness. And all of that is missing in this track. Just my HO...
I once sat in an office at Columbia Records with a man who could have pushed a contract across his desk for us to sign. Instead of offering a deal he said, "bring me a 3 minute art form that people can sing after the song is over, and maybe we'll talk again. Based on the recording I just listened to I'm not hearing that". He was right. We were writing music for ourselves and not for an audience. Not to say that writing for yourself, or your own expression is a bad thing or a route to failure. It's just that, at the time, our egos were in the way, blocking whatever road we wanted to travel. Music is entertainment. And we didn't get that part of it. It took a good lesson like the one at Columbia to learn that.
And don't be afraid to hand pick your band members. Axl Rose did just that when he assembled G & R. He pissed a few musicians off along the way but he achieved his goal...for a while anyway.

 

[TuneIn]

Good luck OP, you've got more guts posting this here for feedback than those who've not recorded a CD, because they'll never have anything to ask feedback about. Eventually you'll get to a point where you don't need approval of others to feel good about the music you're making because it will speak for itself. As others have said, this experience turns into knowledge and it comes in time. You're off to a good start, now follow your heart and go with your musical gut instincts.

 

[mapleglo]

After reading through this thread, I was expecting the worst. I was pleasantly surprised.

Let me first say that I'm not a big fan of metal. I have been known to listen to my share of Dream Threatre though, and I was listening to metal before it was a genre, like back in the days of Black Sabbath and Deep Purple.

I didn't like the first song very much, but didn't turn it off. It needs a bridge, and/or chorus. And if you can find a way to build a little more through the track, you might be able to make it work. The second song, I found myself enjoying.

Frankly, I think some of the other commenters are being a little too harsh. For a group of teens, I think you have a lot of potential. I think this is a wonderful first effort. Do you have a link to the entire album? I'd be interested in hearing the rest of it.

The singer, well, it's not my cup of tea. But, his voice didn't make me want to turn off the recording. I think his voice fits the music, especially the second song. And to be perfectly honest, I like his voice way better than a lot of other metal singers I've heard, whose voices did make me turn off the recording. He conveys some emotion, and growls fairly well, and unlike a lot of metal singers, the growls were not screams for the sake of screaming. They fit.

Keep on playing, writing, and recording. I have a sneaking suspicion I'll be hearing more of you guys.

 

[theduke1]

Love the feel of the music
buy him a auto tune or replace him. I am not trying to be cruel and mean no disrespect, but this proves the point I have been trying to make, people who can't sing do not know it.
sorry dude, but if you don't want to hear the answer you should not ask the question.
Keep rocking the band sounds great otherwise.
The Duke

 

[altarsofmadness]

After reading through this thread, I was expecting the worst. I was pleasantly surprised.

Let me first say that I'm not a big fan of metal. I have been known to listen to my share of Dream Threatre though, and I was listening to metal before it was a genre, like back in the days of Black Sabbath and Deep Purple.

I didn't like the first song very much, but didn't turn it off. It needs a bridge, and/or chorus. And if you can find a way to build a little more through the track, you might be able to make it work. The second song, I found myself enjoying.

Frankly, I think some of the other commenters are being a little too harsh. For a group of teens, I think you have a lot of potential. I think this is a wonderful first effort. Do you have a link to the entire album? I'd be interested in hearing the rest of it.

The singer, well, it's not my cup of tea. But, his voice didn't make me want to turn off the recording. I think his voice fits the music, especially the second song. And to be perfectly honest, I like his voice way better than a lot of other metal singers I've heard, whose voices did make me turn off the recording. He conveys some emotion, and growls fairly well, and unlike a lot of metal singers, the growls were not screams for the sake of screaming. They fit.

Keep on playing, writing, and recording. I have a sneaking suspicion I'll be hearing more of you guys.

Thank you. And, sure, I will PM you the link.

 

[baceface]

I assume the OP is honest when he says he's looking for criticism (not reaffirmation) so I'm not dropping any euphemistic b/s here.

This said, that singer sounds like he's tone deaf. Period. Creativity and looking for one's personality is good, but it only comes once you're already technically fit. I know one can't ask a singer to be his own QA (IME singers are the least educated and auto-critic personalities I've interacted with in almost 30 years playing in bands). I find maybe 1 in 10 rock singers acceptable. I even decided to front my own band some years ago out of such frustration. I'm constantly asking the guys in the band to give any possible feedback on not only vocals' performance but also arrangement and even lyrics. I'm as self conscious as self conscious can be, spend time with vocal coaches also. Still I hate to hear myself sing, even tho' some people may consider what I do as pretty decent...



So I guess self-consciousness is a matter of standards. If I were your singer and heard myself singing in a critical mood I'd not only hate myself but would probably quit trying to sing forever. Not wanting to sound agressive. I just lost a lot of time with worthless singers who couldn't sing crap, I would have welcomed with my heart if anybody had told me to move on past such ugly singers. Your singer is a no-no, no euphemisms will remedy that (much the contrary, might give you the false impression you might have any further business by playing with him, which you don't). No matter what your aims are, if only for the beauty of the music, which is the most primary of aims when you're creating music. He just sucks, deeply. Sorry, I feel your pain, happened to me a hundred times.

Great tune! Its like a cross of nofx and hot water music...

 

[baceface]

Thank you. And, sure, I will PM you the link.

I think everything mapleglo said is spot on. You guys are young and if you enjoy playing together, keep it up. Gain some influence along the way...

Find out how your singer ticks.. does he hate the government or tax on death? Tell him you want to write a sing about that because emotion can break barriers. I mentioned hot water music earlier... check them out, in fact every song they've written because there's a great mix of dualling vocals with a bass and baritone voices. You guys should try the same just for the hell of it. Challenging yourself only makes you better! Get your singer listening to different stuff... I'll try to dig up some stuff, It will be good, just gimme time to think.

 

[altarsofmadness]

I think everything mapleglo said is spot on. You guys are young and if you enjoy playing together, keep it up. Gain some influence along the way...

Find out how your singer ticks.. does he hate the government or tax on death? Tell him you want to write a sing about that because emotion can break barriers. I mentioned hot water music earlier... check them out, in fact every song they've written because there's a great mix of dualling vocals with a bass and baritone voices. You guys should try the same just for the hell of it. Challenging yourself only makes you better! Get your singer listening to different stuff... I'll try to dig up some stuff, It will be good, just gimme time to think.

Thank you, sir, I sure will.

 

[baceface]

Thank you, sir, I sure will.

Check this out... old band from way back, don't even know if their still around but they did this one track "vocal test" just a heavy ass progression riff with screaming. Make him do this, record it and make him listen to it back.




If you get him pissed off, it may be better

 

[Bassamatic]

I like his voice, but he has no sense of pitch. This is an aptitude, so there is little that he can do to improve it. I once worked with a singer like that. She REALLY worked hard at it, but she just could not hear that she was off-key, like so many of the American Idol tryouts. They really don't know how bad they are.

 

[repoman]

Your song is appropriately named...