Yep. Like I said - it's too bad about their material. Most of it wasn't very good.
But my goodness that man could sing! Deep lows through unscreeching highs. He was truly amazing.
If he had Peter Gabriel writing for him, he'd have been known by everyone.
In this one, he does a touch of that scale warbling at one very short point, instead of showcasing it like the r & b'ers do in all their songs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsJ4O-nSveg
He has great power & projection when it's called for, yet his dynamics are unbelievable!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNrQOUtXYOo
When I saw them, I was just blown away by his voice. Their schtick is that everything you hear on stage is played, live, thus their name. But when he sang those lows, & then stretched out so high, well, I was impressed, to say the least. Every note he can sing in the studio, he sang live, & may have even stretched it all a bit farther, even. Prolly cuz I saw him near to his home town, & he was happy playing for ppl he knew.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nPU0YlFoTM&feature=fvst
I also like some of the Counting Crows' stuff, Zip, though some of it I find way irritating, too (Mr Jones!).
But, the best singer to have come out since Peter Gabriel, imho, is this guy -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhuPiBZHvLE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j53VGZnW4fU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihUIPlLw2ZE
Cover THAT, folks!