The Sound and the Hush

I have been debating the subject of this post since earlier this morning. My original thought was to discuss my crushes on celebrities of various sorts, however I think I am going back to another favorite subject—the voice. Yesterday I expounded on the virtues of the Kelly Jones’s vocal stylings. Today I want to consider Mike Doughty, or M. Doughty as he was known in the Soul Coughing days. I could discuss Mr. Doughty’s tenor, but what I really want to consider is his phrasing and his creativity. Though I am not a consistent fan of jazz, I give Mike Doughty props for taking elements of jazz vocal delivery and fusing them to rock. His delivery has a way of exploring every nuance of a word and the idea with which it is associated. If you doubt me then have a listen to “Screenwriter’s Blues” or BT’s “Never Gonna Come Back Down.” There is also his creativity to consider. Mike Doughty is simply downright clever. He makes all sorts of mundane activities sound intriguing. Consider the verbal poetry of his “Down on the River by the Sugar Plant.” I especially like the line, “All of the waves that crash upon the shore, fruitless shushing the world. I pledge allegiance to my displacement, my flag of doubt is unfurled.” And there, pushed forward by a hip hop beat and twangs of an acoustic guitar, is the skeptic’s credo.