The seductive twang of Parker McCollum
A lot of rock vocalists from the UK and Ireland lose their native accents when they sing — and sound like they grew up in Des Moines. Was this an effort, starting back in the ‘60s, to make themselves more appealing to American audiences?
On the other hand, a lot of country artists — whether they’re from the wealthy River Oaks section of Houston or San Francisco or Little Rock or Staten Island — ALL sing in a specific Deep South drawl so thick you’d think they all grew up on the same Tennessee hog farm.
Is this a similar affectation to emphasize the “country” in their music and fit the expectations of the fan demographic?
As for blazing new country star Parker McCollum — whose name, I might add, sounds less like a C&W songwriter and more like someone you’d want defending you if you’d been charged with 91 felonies — he comes from Texas and his records feature that hog farm twang. But, in interviews, Parker sound like he’s from ... Scotland!
Not really. He sounds … normal. Not twangy.
In any case, McCollum is a very good young songwriter who claims George Strait and John Mayer as prime influences — but also references folks like Todd Snider, Townes Van Zant, Rodney Crowell, Drive-By Truckers and Guy Clark.
You can hear those influences in a growing roster of McCollum hits like “Pretty Heart,” “Burn It Down,” “To Be Loved by You” and “Handle on You.” Maybe that’s a way of saying McCollum has mixed it all up with his own twists and has essentially arrived at his own identity.
See McCollum Friday in the Premier Theater at Foxwoods.
Parker McCollum,
8 p.m. Friday, Premier Theater, Foxwoods; $66 and up; foxwoods.com.