I have spent the morning listen to Rumer’s new album – Boys Don’t Cry. It’s a really pleasant sounding record – besides the one factor we all know – she sounds like Karen Carpenter. The 50 Million dollar question is not so much how, but WHY?
Is it -
a) She is plain and simple just heavily influenced by her in terms of vocal style and to a lesser extend image
b) Her record company are aware of the massive ‘Middle America’ market that The Carpenters tapped into – and are attempting to use a similar formula.
The above factor extends beyond the natural tonal qualities of Rumer’s voice, to the instrumentation and production of her music. For example, her new single includes a similar ’70s style’ guitar solo to The Carpenters’ Goodbye To Love, also including similar use of woodwind orchestration.
The reality is that the WHY is probably a mixture of both of these factors – but make no mistake about it, there is a heavy dose of point number 2 – we as audiences are being manipulated via a proven formula!
It’s also interesting to note that listening to artists like Rumer, who are so overtly based on another artist who have proven success (musically and visually), it also has the added dimension of encouraging older and younger audiences to listen to the ‘real thing’ – providing new interest in a back-catalogue that may be forgotten. In many respects this is similar to the process of what happened post British R&B explosion, with The Beatles, The Stones, Clapton, and Beck et al. encouraging many listeners (like me) to listen to Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, etc.
So – thought for today. Enjoy music such as Rumer’s new record. I will continue to listen to it cos it has loads of ‘good tunes’. However – don’t forget to have half an eye on the Simon Cowell factor – our musical preferences are manipulated by THE MACHINE.
She was doing these songs the same way for YEARS before she even had a record company. If you know anything about Rumer, you know that she doesn’t get manipulated by ANYONE.
What an insult to Rumer – That she is being “manipulated” into being someone else. Karen Carpenter was one of the most brilliant singers who ever lived, but if she were trying to break into music today there would be (sadly) VERY little chance of her making it. If this review had been written in 1974, your points would possibly be valid. Rumer is definitely swimming UPSTREAM in today’s market, which takes guts and a great sense of self. Your implication is the exact opposite of what the truth is.
Hi Paul, sorry can’t agree with you on your key assumption here; and speaking frankly, I don’t think you’ve you made much of an argument for your Ms Joyce is a “pale-Karen C” case anyway. Saying something is “this way” and not “that way”, without actually providing any evidence thereof (such as breaking down song by song on the new album just where you think Ms Joyce and her production people have made conscious decisions to mirror or homage Carpenter-esque stylings) just isn’t sufficient and if I were you teacher, with all due respect, I’d be telling you to have another attempt. Wish you’d brought the same degree of scholarship to this topic as you obviously have to the other posts on this blog (which I’m sure I’ll enjoy reading and telling my music buddies about anyway). I’d like a chance to do a more considered rebuttal to your stance; but maybe it’s more appropriate to do that elsewhere. I would however suggest you take another listen to say Flying Shoes – that song is actually incredibly sad and serious. I think Ms Joyce’s intent on this album as she has said in several interviews now, is to try and probe more deeply into a range of male understandings of love and loss. Again, if you listen to her interview, I think’s she a lot smarter and has a lot integrity than you give her credit for. Ultimately people in the public are constructed realities anyway and hence our interpretations are subject to what we bring to them. Perhaps musical criticism can only serve a useful purpose up to a point and then the heart takes over.
Who is Karen Carpenter?
What a cynical review. Its a sad place you find yourself in if you enjoy a piece of work so much but can’t get past the politics. Rumer has been around for quite a while (she is 33 today) so she is hardly an overnight sensation based on her being some knd of soundalike. Just enjoy her for what she is!
What a shallow pratt! Rumer has a natural pure voice which happens to have a pitch and cadence that happens to be similar to Karens. You only have to watch her live (or film of) to know she’s not trying to copy anybody. It’s impossible to produce that quality trying to replicate the original, You can’t compare her work to the aspirations of so many modern wannerbes who have no talent.
What a load of rubbish! Rumer chose the songs herself and she talked the record company into letting her record them – not the other way round. She is a unique person with a versatile voice that is HER’S and HER’S alone. She has highlighted records that had been ‘binned’ and brought life to them. She is always conferring with her fans, and we know what she is like. Her music is her life and she has worked damn hard to get where she is. No X-Factor for her. She is strong and has dictated to the record company about where she does her concerts, and they allow it as they know she is unique and will be around for life.
Thanks for the comments everyone – even the guy who called me a ‘shallow pratt’!!. Firstly just to confirm – I LOVE RUMER’S Music. I am not attempting to place any slant on her ability as an artist. I like the music very much and have respect for her as a singer – BUT:
I have used Rumer as an indicative example of how not her – but her audience (i.e me and you) can be, and often are manipulated by the record industry. Anyone who thinks the process of ‘audience manipulation’ does not happen is simply denying the truth I am afraid. The post was not meant to be an academic one – but if anyone wants to get into academic underpinning to this argument – the best place to start is probably Adorno’s concept of Standardization – see here for a basic description (http://grebelweb.uwaterloo.ca/swood/readings/adorno%20popular%20music.htm). There are lots of other texts I could give – but that was not the point of the post.
To respond to some of the comments directly, and to repeat – I am not saying that she is being manipulated – but that we are (and I am including myself in this)!! Anyone who knows the Carpenters music well, and listen to Rumer’s music cannot argue that there is more than a passing influence there – and the record company have some control over accentuating it. Just place Rumer + Karen Carpenter into Google – it is all over the net. What I am saying is that despite the high quality of Rumer’s music (I love her new album) – to ignore the fact that it is part of an industrial system – when ‘consumers’ are targeted in order to sell product is just crazy.
“You have chosen the worst possible example” – EXACTLY, Frank Wallder!
But Paul, sir, some of us LIKE the Bacharach/MOR sound. Some of ENJOY the horn section. The instrument/production/formula works well here, no, beautifully to complement Rumer’s rich vocal tones. Don’t you think hiphop has a formula too? If this is manipulation by the record company machine….then I hope they keep on manipulating me right into oblivion, as I continue to listen and trance out….joyfully…to the very classy, and successful, Rumer.
Good point Brenda. I feel like that too sometimes – and yes – hip hop – indeed the vast majority of music is formulaic – some good (like Rumer) and some bad. The point I was trying to make (obviously not very successfully) was a Marxist one – we just need to be aware that we are manipulated – and sometimes that naffs me off! Like some people have already said – perhaps I could have chosen a better example.
I agree with most of what you’ve written Diane. However, I disagree wholeheartedly that Karen would have had NO chance to make it today. Why not? Talent is talent; the era does not matter. Her voice would still have been great. Plus, she would have drawn raves for her drumming. A pretty, singing drummer who may also have continued playing the bass? Sounds like a recipe for success to me. Also, if we assume that her personality would have been the same, don’t forget about her drive and work ethic.
Carpenters fan here. She got a great voice of her own. No need to associate with Karen Carpenter for no one will be as great as my Karen
Wow, the comment response here has been bit vicious. When I saw Rumer on the Later…with Jools Holland show last night, my first thought was ‘wow, she sounds like Karen Carpenter’. So this morning I googled it and hit this site. I think Paul’s musings are just that, no need to take it personally. And as far as the music machine, well there is ample evidence that the music industry tries very hard to manipulate all artists to be as marketable as possible.
Come in here, dear boy, have a cigar, you’re gonna go far…
[...] year or so ago, I wrote a blog about how the singer Rumer sounded like Karen Carpenter - and how the music industry could be seen to be using a proven formula (i.e The Carpenters) to [...]