The Singers Talk by Jason Thomas Gordon is such a fun book to read that you might miss just how many actual tips are included for both singers (obviously) and (less obviously) anyone with creative tendencies. Oh yeah, and there is a lot for fans of music as well.

This book came along at an interesting time for me. I have recently, maybe within the past year or so, started watching some music reaction videos. My favorites are the ones by vocal coaches or simply trained singers (though ones by people who simply want to broaden their musical experience can be fun too, just usually less informative). The videos have made me more aware of what a singer does knowingly and, by extension, what even a when-I'm-alone singer does unknowingly. So this book felt comfortable right from the book description.

While the format is generally Q&A with some standard questions for each, Gordon shows his love of music when the standard questions have largely been answered and he poses specific questions about songs or performances in particular. These questions and responses will probably be the most interesting for the general fan, but it is also where some of the singers go into detail about how they did whatever they did. So there are a lot of helpful gems in those parts.

I found a couple of singers/bands I had heard of but never (that I was aware of) listened to. So I had a great time hearing some new-to-me music, which is always welcome. Plus I went back several times to songs I (thought I) knew after reading the comments and gained a whole new appreciation.

Highly recommended for anyone who likes music, well, specifically music with lyrics. From singers and songwriters to casual fans, there is plenty here to educate and entertain.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley. ( )