The mesmerizing vocal vixen who is Natalie Merchant makes her way to the Winspear opera house Thursday, and we have a pair of tickets to giveaway. Pay no attention to the poor reviews coming out of her show at the Fox Theater in Oakland, The concert’s attraction is that Merchant is touring her intriguing new album of songs adapted from poems about childhood. Or, if you are like me and have had a crush on her since pre-adolescence, you may just want to go to gawk.

To win the tickets, though, you are going to have to participate in a little informal poll / arbitrary female vocalist showdown: Who is the better vocalist, Björk or Natalie Merchant? We’re talking here only about pure vocal character and appeal (in terms of musicianship and innovation, Björk, I believe, wins this one by a long shot). So, submit your answers via the form after the jump, where you will also find some videos to help with your discerning. The result will be posted later in the day.

(Photo via WikiCommons)