I approve of Sam Lee on the whole. He has a voice with a lovely, warm, natural timbre. He tries interesting arrangements. He is in my opinion A Good Thing Which Ought To Be Encouraged. I wish more folk performers, young or old, had a tenth of his adventurous and imaginative attitude and vision. I can well understand why lots of people like him - so they should. But, ultimately, try as I might, I can't. Not my cup of tea. He over-ornaments everything, which obliterates the rhythm of the songs he sings. He elongates lines and words, a little like the way Mariah Carey sings in R&B, which is to the detriment of a song's meaning and emotional impact. He has a slightly thespian over-enunciation; when I hear him sing the words 'George Collins' I can't help but think of Laurence Olivier.
|