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Saturday, February 15, 2014

SpinTunes #8 Round 1 Review: David Ritter

Song To Stay Awake (700 Miles):
Ah Yes.... Very nice!!!! This is going to sound silly but the bass drum at the beginning had me captivated.  Very cool guitar lines.  Then the voice came in -- very cool voice!  Very cool lyrical content.  Watch it on the higher register vocal lines- you might be able to add some harmonies in there or doubling to help out.  Very good!!!!  4.8
 
Guilt:
This is a really nice song - it had me from the start.  I would like to hear the mix being more fine tuned.  Super nice guitar playing & vocals. The song itself trumps the recording/mix. Nice!!!!  -- 4.7
 
On The Matter Of Bullying (Part 3):
Wow. Powerful song. Powerful vocals.  Powerful lyrics.  Powerful chord at the end.  Very Nice. - 4.7
 
Missing You:
Cool vocals & Lyrics.  I like this - nice vibe.  "like a punch in the face, Bubonic Plague, kick in the balls"... oh yes!!!  Very nice lines!  --4.7
 
Secret Love Life:
I expected Barry White to say "OHHH YEAH BABY" in his signature low voice at the beginning.  I love that... ok... back to the review. WOW - I love the vocal tone. Great Pitch! I got a little tired toward the end of the repeating "my secret love life" though. - 4.6
 
Burn out or fade away:
You have a nice voice.  Love the drums when they enter.  Love the arrangement!  --4.6
 
Cat's Eye:
Very interesting- It's a puzzle!  I'm not a big fan of the electric piano at the start- regular pianos or synth pianos that sound like regular pianos are the master. I love the harmonies.  I had some troubles making out some of the lyrics.  I love the changing- it keeps me guessing - 4.5
 
Phil And Don:
Cool guitar tone! Cool synths! Cool Song! --4.2
 
Torchbearer:
Nice Mix!  I think I like the voice - maybe tweak the vocal placement a bit to sound less brittle. I look forward to hearing more.  4
 
When I Lost You:
Oh man I was wanting to rate this higher because I liked it from the start- but the vocals are really lost in the mix and I got distracted by that. It's a nice song; Bring the vocals out more next time - nice job. --3.8
 
Sitting Right Here:
This is a fun, cute song.  I'd like to hear the vocals polished more- a few pitch problems..  --3.8
 
Without You (A Valentines Stalker Song Sequel):
The sexual assault part at the beginning bothered me :-(
I really liked the vocals.  Your voice is really nice.  The was very humorous and I liked it , I just wish the sexual assault part wasn't in there.  -- 3.6
 
Hey Eugene:
I loved the instruments.  I'm not sure I'm a fan of the song, but this one does somehow have me interested to hear more from you!  --3.5
 
Never Coming Home:
Vocals I would have like to have seen more refined.  The low register notes were probably too low for you... you had some troubles on the higher register as well.  This maybe... could be changed on the higher register in the upper register with practice.  It was a little distracting with the struggling of those notes.  --2.5
 
Broken Mind:
This song was ok.  Something didn't click with me on it.  I don't really have anything to say that I didn't like.... I just didn't enjoy the song itself.  2.4
 
Monster:
Muddy sound; I would have enjoyed it more if everything didn't sound overdriven.  Is this song about Dexter? 2.0

Nancy (Please Don't Go):
I really like the music- but the vocals are not as strong as I would like and left me distracted from the song.  I really feel like I would feel different with stronger vocals - 2.0
 
Doom Dah:
It might be the genre that I am not liking but the vocals were too loud in the mix for me, or the guitar too low-- however you want to look at that.  Interesting vocals though.  You gave a good representation of the feel being expressed in the lyrics. -- 1.7
 
Right Place Wrong Time:
It sounded like everything was compressed too much.  Try for a more open mix.  Everything sounded really tight and constricted.  Try finding a song you like as a guideline once you are ready to mix.  Then try to mix as close to the mix in that sound so you can get a proper mix.  Ears are easily fooled when going from laying down tracks to mixing.  I didn't really enjoy the melody of the verses but I was pleasantly surprised  by the bridge and the chorus - and liked those!  Unfortunately, I have to give lower grades because of the mix and the versus.  1.6
 
Dead Wrong:
The piano bass like at the beginning was really cool.  I really liked it. Also liked the beginning of the synths.  The vocals weren't as strong as I would like. -- 1.6
 
Why:
Not a fan of the piano sound.  Need more forward placement in the vocal tone production- Especially in the upper registers.  The vocals get choked up there.  The mix isn't very full.  Very thin.  Drums and cymbals in this one get very distracting - 1.5
 
Missing You:
I would like to hear the mix more dynamic.  I was also like to hear the vocals more confident.  Maybe spending more time or takes on the singing of the song, over and over until it sounds confident. --1.2
 
Without You Here:
I thought the drum into was really cool.  I like the jazzy feel.  Synths are really hard to pull off in this type of genre of music.  That said - the song was interesting.  The voice was too up front in the mix though.  1.2
 
Ginger Twins:
The piano was really out of tune... I wanted to like this song so much.  The piano just distracted everything.  It was hard to focus on the song.  The song itself had some really great qualities to it.   The piano was the breaker on this.  Your voice is really really really nice.  With the piano out so much it sounds like you are singing out of tune on those high notes.  I want to hear more from you - I just want you to amp up the production of everything.  Unfortunately because of the piano it gets a lower rating-- 1.2
 
Who You Used To Be
Very, very cool intro on the guitar.  I also liked the tone of the acoustic guitar.  The vocals were really muddy.  Brighten up the vocals in the mix and that would probably make them not so muddy.  It would probably make it were you could hear the words.  --1.1
 
Burdens:
Just as it is hard to enter into this competition with an a cappella song - it's hard to enter into this competition with just guitar and voice- unless the voice is really stellar, or really unique.  I'm not saying your voice is no good.  Not at all.  I think things would be great on this song with added instruments.  Was the guitar an electric or and acoustic ran through an amp?  -- 1.1
 
I Tried, Okay:
I hear talent in the voice.  I'm not sure if something happened in the mixing process?  Maybe this was on purpose... trying to convey this energy.  I feel this song would benefit greatly with the mixing improved.  1.1
 
Box Feeling:
A lot of guts doing an a cappella song here.  It's really hard to compete with other people in this competition when you are entering with just voice.  You have to have some kind of cool choral arrangement, harmonies that are just ripping cool, etc... 1.0
 
The Child I Left Behind:
a cappella was a bold move.  That said... my opinion is that the song doesn't stand up high enough with some of the others to get it there.  It's hard with all the other tunes having instruments.  I do applaud you with your guts for going a cappella. --1.0

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