TIS the season to be mischievous, tra la la la la la la la la. As such, this columnist is sorely tempted to give Ronan Keating of Boyzone the award for Singer of the Year; particularly following the rather ridiculous furore which erupted when Dave Fanning suggested recently that only half of Boyzone can sing.
Since when was a "beautiful voice" a prerequisite in pop? Surely what matters is not so much how a voice sounds, in any traditional sense, but how it resounds in the ears, minds and hearts of listeners? As is true in relation to some of the most potent vocalists of our time, such as Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen - all of whom have similarly been dismissed as "lousy singers" by many people.
Of course, neither Ronan nor any of the rest of the guys in Boyzone have voices that compare with even the sound of Cash, Dylan or Cohen coughing - but, hey, let's give the kids a chance. And accept the fact that they are, at least, connecting with their millions of fans. Duck the begrudgers, Boyz.
That said, now you can stand back watch me shoot myself in the foot. Because I can't seriously give Ronan the Singer of the Year award and am choosing, instead, a singer with an incomparably "beautiful" voice: Brian Kennedy. Though, believe me, the choice was not easy.
Other contenders include The Divine Comedy, Bjork, Thom Yorke of Radiohead, Tricky, Goldie, Fiona Apple, Cassandra Wilson, Alanis Morissette, Patti Smith, Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, Michael Stipe, the Fugees, George Michael, Ash and the aforementioned Johnny Cash.
A plurality of vocalists from across the entire spectrum of popular music. And what do they all have in common? Not much, apart from the fact that when they open their little mouths they end up creating a sound we love; and sounds some even live by.
YET Brian beats all this year, because of the shadows that add an extra layer to the almost unbearable lightness of his work, the beauty that insists on shining despite the social, racial, sexual and political forces that conspire to confine his voice to silence. Listen to any track from A Better Man and you will also hear a singer-songwriter who has mastered not only the art of writing, but also of singing between the lines, thus creating the kind of floating spaces into which any of us can crawl. Especially those males who might otherwise be disinclined to display the emotions that define songs like For One Kiss or Won't You Take Me Home? When more men shake off their macho poses to the same extent, then - maybe just maybe - rock'n'roll will finally move beyond its infancy.