ST16R2 REVIEWS - Joe 'Covenant' Lamb

Well…
This round was very difficult for a couple of reasons.
Generally, I’m a believer in the “The song meets the challenge, or it does not” way of thinking – but for this, there were some interpretation which I just didn’t agree with… but not quite enough to call for a DQ. So, for once, meeting what my interpretation of the challenge is a factor… which is also hard because so many songs hit the same level for me… which is to be honest, around mid-table. For me, the top 6-7 were at least a head above the others.

(BTW… Loving the Spintunes Anthem!)

So – from top to bottom… (numbers are album numbers)

2.Timothy Patrick Hinkle - Number Line 04:10

I love this track. (Kinda reminds me of Early pink Floyd) Musically ambitious, certainly not looking to be a snappy, gimmick song (nothing wrong with those, but this is an unusually esoteric song for a song contest!) I do wish the vocals had been EQ'd or separated a bit more.

5.Steve Stearns - The Fibonacci Sequence 03:05

Great groove. Well played and produced. And, dammit, helps you learn.

I liked this quite a bit.

13.Nick Work - Reasons (That I Love You) 02:39

60's rock meets sesame street!

To me, this is the epitome of the challenge - and it's a decent song to boot.

Well played, musically interesting, vocally competent and lyrically spot on - with a groovy outro... and all of that in just over 2.5 minutes!!

Catchy and yes, worth more than one listen.

14.Ross Durand - Don't Blink 02:49

Lovely little song. Gets the challenge spot on.

Lyric a bit forced in places, but most soft country is ;)

Well put together, really nice....

(Could have done without the whistling!)

15.Glen Raphael - Song of Many 02:29

A nice riff on the "One Whole Person" style of song and, having covered that, I know how hard they can be to get just right. Glen nails this.

(Although the outro vocal gets a bit too loose - with a touch more structure and it woulda been perfect.)

And a gorgeous guitar to boot.

“How many listeners has this song?” Should be more...

17.Jerkatorium - 8-bit Love 03:27

Yes... fun... great use of the challenge.

Started to make me think of Bowling for Soup!

Well sung, well played, nice production... Yeah... liked it.

10.Good Guy Sôjàbé - The Wire 03:19

Oh!! A rock song!! Terrific musically (a bit muddy, but still there.)

Met the challenge well - loses it's way at the end, would have been better with a resolution of sorts. Would have liked a more ambitious chorus (given the artistry on show here)

Not too much to fault here.

12.Outlyer - Napalm 03:31

BARELY meets the challenge – would have been higher otherwise.

Musically really nice, very atmospheric - **TTIIMEE** really jars with me on what is an otherwise well done vocal. Nice production, I really like the sound of this one.

3.Jocko Homomorphism - Discretion 02:51

If I didn't know any better, I'd say this song was about modular arithmetic and elliptic curves in cryptography...

WOW!!! Downright jazz! (Shame about the midi horns though a bit... off-putting would have rathered this been a keys sample as opposed to attempting brass.)

Is that a jump or a bad edit just before the end? Musically, I can hear what it could be - Sadly, the vocal lets it down. but then what do I know?? The chorus to this was excellent, and with better production could be stunning! But I can't judge a song based on what I can hear it *could * be...

11.Governing Dynamics - Get Lost! 02:27

Shades of Radiohead. Nice to hear Travis being more ambitious with his vocals - but that's not a pointer for judging... just an observation :) Challenge wise, I think that 'gets lost' a little in the middle and end of the track, but still met it. Sudden ending... I thought the track had broken! Well played, could do with better production.

4.BucketHat Bobby Matheson - Countin' Dice 02:15

Same problem with other songs in that the counting is not overly prominent, rather the process of counting... but it was a fun song (and that’s what counts!)

Vocal more prominent this time but still a bit back in the mix. Liked the tune and the idea.

A lot of work in a 135 second song!

20.Boffo Yux Dudes - When The Band Counts Down 01:55

Oooo challenge twisting... Can't deny "counting" is prominent in the song!

Short but rocky.

16.Temnere - Cynics Anxiety 04:04

I did like the song, but it's only in touching distance of the challenge though.

Honestly, it sounds like a song that was already written but had a countdown tacked into it.

Musically superb.

6.Faster Jackelope - Limerence 04:17

Ohhhh now the start of this had me hooked. Loved the music here.

A bit REM-vibey, excellently played, well sung, great melody... and then we hit the chorus.

Which to me, is too out of synch with the rest of the song. Would have been higher with a better chorus.

1.Caravan Ray - Peak Misery 02:13

Muddy vocals under some great music.

Only scraped through challenge-wise to me, but a good enough song - just couldn't make out the words without the lyric in front of me.

8.Vowl Sounds - Blood on the Tracks 03:38

Does this meet the challenge? Well... kinda...

As for the song... it sounds like there are two or three separate songs in here all trying to get out. The *story* of the song is never made clear, but it’s written as if I should know what's going on?

("Till he knelt down on the floor, Opened up the box, And opened up his mouth, But he couldn't get the question out") - No idea what that means.

(As a counter, listen to Brewhouse’s entry this round. I have no idea of the story behind it, but it comes out in the song without stating flat out the awful tragedy behind it)

I wanted to LOVE this... but ended up just liking it.

18.Ominous Ride - Seven Naughty Children 05:06

Okay - this does meet the challenge... and if it had started with five children it might have scored higher, (although harder to scan, I would imagine) but this became a sort of "Ten Little Struwelpeters on The Wall"! with a tune that was a bit too plodding and overlong. (I liked the change of tone with each demise - but I feel it would have benefitted from some differences in style for each one) - Good idea... just waaaayyy too long.

19.Mandibles - Breathe 05:41

If the end piece of this had been more of a chorus then it would have been fine.

(Although as it stands, it was the weakest part melodically.)

Had the outro vocal of the 1234512312312345678 been underlaid across the whole song (or at least parts of it) this would have been VERY high. (And I think a fade out would have been better than the end it has.)

REALLY liked the song - beautifully sung - but not a challenge meet-er - shouldn't have to rely on the pre-amble to see how/why it is thought to meet the challenge.

(Honestly... I did really like this)

9.The Quantifiers - The Terrible Trivium 04:16

Back to Phantom Tollbooth!

Sadly, that's where my inteerst stopped. Brave to do it almost acapella, but too much of a stretch to follow the trivium's own example and make twice as long as it had to be. I never FF through songs when judging, but this one sorely tempted me. Sorry.

7.Rob From Amersfoort - Count Me Out 02:11

Can't really hear this one, sadly.

And, sadder still, I also don't think it meets the challenge.

Sorry Rob, my last pick from this round.

SHADOWS

Shadows in a single line-ish

21.Menage a Tune - Same Old Dance (SHADOW) 01:51

Same problem as 1st round, decent sounding song, great harp. Live recording doesn't become you, probably around mid table - didn't need the comedic end.

22.The Brewhouse Sessions - Please Come Home Faye (SHADOW) 05:20

I liked this a lot. Ignoring the pre-amble - it starts like a love song, ends up being far darker and heart-rending. A few lyric tweaks and this would be devastating - would have been top five.

(Am I hearing auto-tune? If so.. only top ten! ;) )

23.Jeb and Iwa - Fibonnacci Encounters Pie (SHADOW) 03:01

Okay.. I get it... it's "clever". It just didn't grab me.

24.PigFarmer Jr - Gal For Me (SHADOW) 02:04

Can't see this meeting the challenge, really. But kudos for the most impressive first line in this round! :)

25.Micah Sommersmith - Chuck and Juanita (SHADOW) 03:38

Sadly, I don't understand Spanish (it's not really heard much in the UK).

(Does "siete ocho nueve diez" mean 7 8 9 10?)
Just not my kind of thing - felt longer than 3:38 :(

26.Heather Miller - The Good Stuff (SHADOW) 02:18

Is Heather playing a Uke???

HEATHER??!??!?!?!!

(There is no god.)

Play this on a guitar and I'll really like it!!! :)