All artists need to identify the core palette of their music.
To help you, here are some artists I love, and the specific traits that make them them. To help you define your own musical palette.
Neil Young (acoustic era)
Tone
- Dry, raw, fragile
- Slightly nasal, strained (not smoothed out)
Delivery
- Feels discovered in real time
- Loose timing, often behind the beat
Harmony
- Very simple
- Emotionally ambiguous (between major/minor)
Sound world
- Sparse (acoustic + occasional harmonica)
- Imperfection is part of the aesthetic (breath, creaks, pitch edges)
Emotional lane
- Distant, observational, melancholic
- Feels overheard rather than connecting directly
Jewel
Tone
- Clean, rounded, controlled
- Clear vowel shaping
Delivery
- Intentional phrasing
- More performed than discovered
Harmony
- Conventionally “pretty”
- Strong resolution
Sound world
- Acoustic but warmer, more polished
- Voice is the centrepiece
Emotional lane
- Direct connection, vulnerability
- Clear storytelling
PJ Harvey
Vocal identity
- Character-based, not one consistent tone
- Inhabits roles (childlike, predatory, detached, prophetic)
- Tone serves narrative
Controlled ugliness
- Sharp edges, flips, discomfort used intentionally
- Fragility vs harshness as contrast
Rhythm
- Deliberate phrasing
- Often ahead or clipped
- Words feel placed, not drifting
Sound world
- Curated minimalism
- Dry drums, stark guitars, unusual instruments
- Intentional, strange, never decorative
Emotional stance
- Power over vulnerability
- Controlled, sometimes menacing
- Not seeking sympathy
Leonard Cohen
Voice
- Text delivery, not tone-driven
- Almost spoken, narrow range
Language
- Dense, poetic, symbolic
- Feels like literature
Rhythm
- Grounded, inevitable
- Owns the tempo
Sound world
- Ritualistic minimalism
- Repetition, simple chords, restrained arrangements
Emotional stance
- Detached intimacy
- Composed, no oversharing
Persona
- Narrator, not character
- Identity remains consistent
Eddie Vedder (Into the Wild)
Voice
- Physical, human (breath, grain, effort)
- Controlled but unpolished
Melody
- Simple, chant-like
- Accessible without prettiness
Rhythm
- Steady, forward (“walking pace”)
Sound world
- Acoustic + ukulele
- Minimal, natural ambience
Emotional stance
- Earnest, unguarded
- Sincere without sentimentality
Identity
- Strong sense of place (landscape, solitude, journey)
Patti Smith
Voice
- Speech → chant → sing → shout
- No fixed technique identity
Language
- Poetic, abstract, image-led
- Meaning felt, not explained
Rhythm
- Word-led, not groove-led
- Time bends around phrasing
Sound world
- Raw, minimal, live-feeling
Emotional stance
- Devotional intensity
- Witnessed, not performed
Identity
- Artist as vessel (not persona, not narrator)
- Feels dangerous, alive
Tori Amos
Voice
- Internal dialogue made external
- Constant micro-shifts (soft → sharp, breathy → biting)
Instrument
- Piano is co-lead (rhythm, harmony, emotion)
Melody
- Unpredictable, conversational
- Emotion-led, not pattern-led
Rhythm
- Elastic but controlled
Language
- Symbolic + personal
- Feminine / mythic / psychological
Emotional stance
- Exposed but powerful
- Holds sexuality, anger, fragility, control
John Lennon
Voice
- Honest, raw, slightly strained
- Often double-tracked
Melody
- Simple but precise
- Memorable with emotional nuance
Harmony
- Familiar with subtle twists
Rhythm
- Straight but expressive
Sound world
- Minimal, intentional
Examples:
- Plastic Ono Band: raw, exposed
- Imagine: clean, spacious
Emotional stance
- Direct truth (no abstraction)
- Clear expression of anger, pain, hope
Joni Mitchell
Voice
- Shape-shifting but precise
- Every syllable intentional
Melody
- Architectural, not repetitive
- Built from open tunings
Harmony
- Distinctive, unresolved, moving
Rhythm
- Lyric-led but structured
Language
- Hyper-specific, observational
- Detailed, not generic
Emotional stance
- Vulnerable but self-aware
Identity
- Unique musical language (tunings, phrasing, voicings)
Jeff Buckley
Voice
- Instrument + emotion fused
- Wide range, fluid transitions
- Uses breath, distortion, vibrato expressively
Dynamics
- Extreme contrast (quiet ↔ explosive)
- Often within one phrase
Melody
- Elastic, expressive
Harmony
- Rich but not dense
- Suspended tension
Rhythm
- Responsive, breath-led
Sound world
- Intimate → expansive
- Space grows and contracts
Emotional stance
- Total exposure
- Longing, intensity, surrender
So now you!
