True Or Falsetto?

"True Or Falsetto?" is the musical question posed by Stinky on this homemade album. In modern Western music, falsetto has a tradition dating back to blues and country music, doo wop, soul and pop. The falsetto voice continues today in indie rock (this Boston Globe article cites Jeff Buckley and Shudder To Think as influences on current singers.)

As a singing technique, falsetto can be used to convey passion, emotional vulnerability, theatricality, or as a demonstration of technical mastery. 

Among male singers, it can also express gender ambiguity, perhaps because of its innate artifice. We tend to equate a deep voice with machismo; a high male voice can be perceived as effeminate or emasculated. I think this ambiguity was a purposeful stylistic choice by certain glam, disco and metal performers. 

On the other hand, it requires a measure of confidence and bravery to challenge traditional male stereotypes. Falsetto can simultaneously express both tenderness and strength. It can convey loneliness, sadness and longing; or excitement, celebration and sexual attraction (as in "Got To Give It Up" or "You Make Me Feel Mighty Real").

The male falsetto voice can also heighten a sense of unease. Think of Thom Yorke, Josh Homme, or David Lynch's use of songs by Roy Orbison and Little Jimmy Scott.  Again, this may have something to do the aspect of artifice, conflicting feelings about traditional gender roles, and the risks of vulnerability. The Boston Globe quotes Wild Beasts' singer Hayden Thorpe: "“Singing in falsetto comes from a willingness to be unhinged and uninhibited, which I think is a kind of strength in itself.’’

I remember attending a Neville Brothers concert and marveling at the contrast between Aaron Neville's muscular build and his delicate voice. Singers like Neville, Smokey Robinson, and Jeff Buckley have voices of unadulterated beauty. When a falsetto harmonizes with other singers (in gospel, soul, bluegrass, doo wop or pop groups like the Beach Boys and the Hollies), the results are extraordinarily pleasing to the ear. I can't speak knowledgeably about the use of falsetto in the music of other continents: I'm only aware of a few of the world's great performers. 

These are only my thoughts, inspired by Stinky's compilation. It contains 20 songs by male singers, from the 1950's to the 1990's. If you can't get enough, visit Butterboy's blog for a hundred falsetto songs in popular music. (There is some overlap, but "True Or Falsetto" was compiled several years ago.) Many thanks once again to Stinky Le Pew!

Autumn always reminds me of one of my favorite falsetto songs, "Halloween" by The Method Actors. "Summer's over/ Here comes the weather!"