I'll be right up-front about it and say that this time I'm looking for sincerity. It's tough, I know, but that's kind of what you were asked to DO, so I'm giving special props to the people who did did it. You were asked for an uplifting song, not cynicism disguised as such. So if you're one of the ones who just said, "I'm going to ignore the sickly sweetness of it all and jump into the treacle with both feet," rest assured your dedication to the craft will be rewarded here.
And yes, we're asking you to convey specific emotions rather than deliver on a specific topic, and quite rightly so. Often, professional musicians are asked to do exactly that. John Williams doesn't get to determine what the characters on the screen feel. He's given an emotional spec and writes to it. In an earlier review I mentioned that the difference between Craft and Art is that Art deliberately conveys emotion. Well, Great Art deliberately conveys an emotion that the artist doesn't necessarily feel. It's a combination of Art and Craft.
OFFICIAL ENTRIES
(presented in "revised album order", after Temnere's reinstatement)
1. Vowl Sounds - Graduation Day 03:28
While the music here is infectious, there's a certain amount of cynicism mixed in with the good advice. It will rank well, but not at the top for me. The only thing that bothers me in an otherwise excellent delivery is the last syllable of "It's Graduation Day", in which your throat sounds a little constricted, as if you're holding back.
2. Glen Raphael - Wedding Day 03:14
The Anti-Challenge. As so often happens in cases like this, I like the song, but I'm going to rank it pretty low.
3. Nick Work - Long Way (To Go) 03:30
This has a great driving rhythm (which makes it great to play while driving!). I could put it on continuous loop in my car. But now let's look at the lyrics: You've got literally one verse (the last) that conveys hope. The rest of it is filled with "shadows of doubt", "covered in mud", "you will not discover / the meaning of life", and of course, "got a long way to go". It's a really good song, but others answer the challenge better.
4. Good Guy Sôjàbé - Bride 03:10
Oddly and bizarrely (given everything I've written above), this ranks very highly with me. Not only do I like the Bowie vibe, but there's nothing really insincere about it. From the point of view of the singer, this is nothing but hopeful and forward-looking. MAJOR kudos for finding a way to put a dark spin on this round while simulaneously managing to bullseye the challenge!
Geek note: I could be happier with the Latin... causation's a little weird and I think the wrong person is sleeping (should be tu nocte somnum, not ego). And you're not going to get "tomorrow" out of what's written. And you're using the plural vos instead of singular tu. Since 'for' here denotes a sense of 'moving forward' rather than actual causation, I'd suggest you drop the conjunction and go with something like "Tu somnum hac nocte; Mea tu cras videbo," literally "You will sleep this night; I will see you tomorrow"), but kudos for the attempt.
5. OutLyer - Congratulations 02:48
This screams sincerity. After three rounds, if I had to describe your style to someone, "cinematic" is the word I'd use. In part it's the judicious use of reverb; in part the choice and variety of instruments. This is the sort of thing you could reasonably expect to hear in a high school sports movie. Delivery-wise -- and this is going to sound stupid, though I don't mean it in any derogatory way -- it sounds exactly like PC Principal if he weren't a dick. Great job!
6. Steve Stearns - People Be Kind 03:35
You don't get more uplifting than gospel. You just don't. With a vocal delivery that channels Randy Newman and piano rock musical structure reminiscent of Elton John's "Take Me to the Pilot", I'm on board. Like Outlyer, you went the completely sincere route. Praise aside, we did ask for a song to be played a specific event. While this is generically uplifting, I can't pin down that event.
7. "BucketHat" Bobby Matheson - Perfect Together 05:09
This is a really nice song; sincere, a solid answer to the challenge. Production-wise, it's a bit of a hot mess. You're a bit out of synch as if your background vocalists aren't in the same room. Since they're the same guy, and they're all you, I can't help but think that was avoidable. I'm guessing you haven't played guitar in a while. Me either, and mine would sound like that with the current state of my fingertips. But honestly, Bobby, the only thing that keeps this in the middle of the pack for me is delivery. Love the song.
8. Faster Jackelope - The Matter Doesn't Matter 03:52
This is a pretty good humanistic answer to the challenge. The chorus is an earworm, for sure. The thing is, I'm so busy puzzling it out that I'm not really... uplifted.
9. Ross Durand - Follow Your Heart 03:13
Ahhhh, ROSS. A Song of Wisdom indeed.
10. Governing Dynamics - Hello Kansas City 04:00
This song alone makes me glad we chose this challenge. If you'd asked me two weeks ago what were the odds I'd get toe-tapper from Governing Dynamics and I'd have given you 5-to-1 against.
11. Jerkatorium - Something Right 02:28
I've said it before... asking Jerkatorium to write an upbeat song is like asking Jerkatorium to "write a song". But here we're asking for something not upbeat, but uplifting. This is certainly celebratory. It's happy. It's a lot of postive things. But it's not...quite... the song I'm looking for.
12. Temnere - Unbreakable 03:57
Pure, solid hard rock anthem here. There's a great bit of storytelling here. We don't really know the "circumstance", but we know enough. People are in bondage, and this is some kind of rally or call to action. This is a song to literally lift up the downtrodden spur them on to victory; and MAN, does it work! I always love your vocals, the reason is clear. You just don't hold back. You just shout it out, throat wide open and unobstructed. Mixers have volume controls... you make 'em work.
SHADOWS
13. Jocko Homomorphism - I Changed My Name (SHADOW) 03:05
I have no idea. You're a strange person, Jocko, and I'm glad you're here.
14. Menage A Tune - I Wish You Well (SHADOW) 02:04
In your song bio you say "This is about a graduation. Or for a funeral. Hard to tell which..." That's true. I wish you had committed to one or the other. As a graduation song, it's pretty ominous ("It's time to meet your fate" and "Might be heaven- might be hell"). As a funeral song, it's pretty cavalier ("But no matter where you wind up, I wish you well!"). Thanks for bringing a good bit of diversity to your musical accompaniment this contest... major props to you and your collaborators.
15. Menage A Tune - Rainbow Bridge (SHADOW) 01:16
Aww. Poor Buddy. (I would not have thought to use a busy box toy as accompaniment.)
16. Mandibles - You Are Free (SHADOW) 03:55
From the opening bar with the heavy toms, I felt a Phil Collins influence through this whole piece. This felt very "Tarzan" or "Lion King" to me and frankly it was a toss-up for me as to whether this or Temnere should be reinstated. This is very solid. I especially like that the song casts the Great Commission as high adventure. It's a take I haven't heard. Sometimes the "ahhs" in the background seem to be trying to find their place, and that could possibly be tightened up. Then again, it could be my equipment, or that I'm being very picky.
17. The Brewhouse Sessions - You Are The Shining Star (SHADOW) 04:24
This is a solid, sincere entry. I like that. No dodging or twisting... just plow on through and answer the challenge. The vocal timbre tells me you've still got some issues from that cold, but this is really effective use of Autotune to give us something listenable. As usual, the guitar work is excellent.
18. Just Ducky - Wash Your Hands (SHADOW) 02:17
This is a shadow for the previous round (the one about counting). It's a damned good use of counting. Wash your Hands! Twenty second rule!
19. The Quantifiers - The Impossible Journey (SHADOW) 02:56
One more from The Phantom Tollbooth! This is the best of this series of songs so far, in my opinion.
RANKINGS
This is tough, because I don't really want to let anybody go at this point.
But rules is rules, and we can only let 4 into the final round.
1. Temnere - Unbreakable 03:57
2. Good Guy Sôjàbé - Bride 03:10
3. Steve Stearns - People Be Kind 03:35
4. OutLyer - Congratulations 02:48
5. Ross Durand - Follow Your Heart 03:13
6. Vowl Sounds - Graduation Day 03:28
7. "BucketHat" Bobby Matheson - Perfect Together 05:09
8. Governing Dynamics - Hello Kansas City 04:00
9. Jerkatorium - Something Right 02:28
10. Nick Work - Long Way (To Go) 03:30
11. Faster Jackelope - The Matter Doesn't Matter 03:52
12. Glen Raphael - Wedding Day 03:14
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