Really? What else have you heard him sing that leads you to that conclusion? BARE sounded 100% pop to me. Well I've been to both of his concerts, at Opia and Feinstein's, seen him at Joe's Pub on several occassions, etc. His own compositions are much less "pop" and much more traditional theater. I'm trying to think of what he's sung off the top of my head, some Jason Robert Brown, something from Once On This Island, a cut track from A New Brain, John Bucchino, etc. He tends to sing much more traditional theater/cabaret songs.
"Too young to hold on and too old to just break free and run" - Jeff Buckley