Jered Tanner for President - June

http://www.myspace.com/jeredtanner4pres

Now here is a tune, and an artist worth noting. If you can keep somebody's attention solid during an acoustic performance, you've got the chops.

"June" is the track by this project (although to me it seems like one dude) under scrutiny today.

Let's get the crits out of the way. I get the sense during the song that some of the "peculiarities" of the singers voice is almost affected, and not a natural product of his singing and breathing, BUT as always, one needs to put this in context of the style of music, his song and the like. Certainly belting is not required in this song, so maybe slight forcing of ones vocal chords through the mid (throat) to high (nasal) registries is acceptable. However, this criticism only comes after having listened to the tune about a dozen times. My guess is first time listeners would be more than pleased and engaged.

Lyrically this is a beautiful thing, although the metaphor not always easy to follow, but just damned 'nice'. Not like a cup of tea nice, but really nice. Almost like a happy Walt Whitman. For fear of publishing copyright infringement reprisals I will neglect to put some of the lyrics here, but lemme just say, whether June is a girl or a month or a time in his life, she must be damned fine, if a bit complicated.

Delivering his lyrics with untraditional almost rap/rhyme-like back beat sensibilities in the long sentences break the fairly straight -forward beat and rhythm of the song.... and this is a ridiculously long sentence without commas. Most great folk singers have this in their arsenal, like Jack Johnson, except Jered Tanner for President does not run out of breath in the middle of it and he does deliver it with a pure voice, no throaty whispery huskiness. (For the record: I think Jack Johnson is a legend).

My final thoughts? A killer tune. What would I like to see? A bit more chest register singing from a singer who is under-utilising the full range of his voice.

Oh, the guitar playing is solid, although there is some fret-noice on the strings, which is the guitar, not the player. The question beckons however: how many songs will still be made from that opening chord progression? I personally have about 3...