Chris Wenner can’t escape the crush of the madding crowd in his bluesy new folk single Too Many People — premiering exclusively on Tinnitist.
The German singer-songwriter’s latest release from his 2025 album Not Old Enough is a sensitive, introspective song that masterfully juxtaposes its clear social statement with musical restraint and sophistication. Blending jazzy guitar, a JJ Cale-style beatbox and Wenner’s tender, lightly sanded crooning into a melancholy ballad reminiscent of Nick Drake, Eric Clapton or José González, the song offers profound depth — both sonically and lyrically.
Too Many People is a socially critical folk song that addresses overpopulation and its effects on humanity, nature, and even spiritual ideals with poetic clarity and emotional intensity. In his lyrics, Wenner blends everyday observations with a deep, almost resigned reflection on the limits of growth:
“Too many fights, too many faces
Too many words and too many phrases
This planet is aching ’cause we’re a bad keeper
Too many people
Too many apples are poisonous and lethal
Too many guns and too much evil
Not enough hay and too many needles
And stupid leaders
Too many people
This world can be such a wonderful place
But for too many people there’s not enough space.”
The lyrics culminate in the surreal idea that even heaven has become overcrowded — an ironic and poetic climax that underscores the song’s central message: Planetary and spiritual spaces seem to have grown too narrow for humankind as it currently lives.
The song is deliberately arranged in a stripped-down style, following the classic tradition of modern folk. This restraint in instrumentation serves to highlight the lyrics and overall mood. The harmonic structure is slow and melancholic, often based on open chords, reflecting both the vastness and the confinement of the theme.
Wenner’s voice is the centerpiece of the song. It is warm, smoky, and marked by a slightly fragile timbre — authentic, grounded, and vulnerable. His vocal restraint feels genuine and intimate, never overly dramatic. Especially in the refrains, the intensity subtly increases without breaking the calm tone — a stylish understatement that resonates.
Songwriter, singer, and guitarist Wenner has lived many stories. You can hear that in Not Old Enough, his third studio album. You can hear it in the lyrics, in the way he sings and plays. Wenner has something to say, but he doesn’t shout. Instead, he delivers these warm, expansive tracks with the tenderness, emotion, and intensity of someone who no longer has anything to prove—either to himself or anyone else.
At 68, Wenner might remind you of a German Sixto Rodriguez, but without the tragic backstory. Unlike Rodriguez, Wenner isn’t being rediscovered late in life — he’s being discovered now. He’s been writing songs since the early ’70s, and his unique voice pulls you in, offering warmth, comfort and companionship.
Check out Too Many People above, hear Not Old Enough in full below, and follow Chris Wenner on his website, Facebook and Instagram.
