ST17.4 Contestant Reviews

A number of SpinTunes 17 contestants were gracious enough to provide reviews along with their rankings. These reviews are compiled here, alphabetically by reviewer's name.

Also in Blue

1. Also In Blue - Forgotten Cities

Rather than pat my own back, I want to use this space to say that I've spent this entire contest being absolutely floored by the quality and creativity of the songwriting I've heard from everybody. I'm grateful to the FAWM forum post that led me here. The older I get, the more I appreciate a real community - good tunes and a nice hang afterwards; people who care about the work, but don't take themselves too seriously; people who really listen to the song you've written, instead of just waiting for their turn to play. I value the feedback I've gotten - and you better believe I'll be back for the next SpinTunes. Thanks for a great ride.

2. Sober - Judgment is Gonna Come

The INSTANT this came on, I was totally sold on it. This formula is so damn effective - when your daddy/momma/preacher TOLD you, you gotta listen. I'm a sucker for quality roots instrumentals (do you think I can learn to play like that when I grow up?) and the vocals are raw and real and SO satisfying. The song is good, and the energy of the performance only makes it better. All boxes checked; happy, thank you, more please. (For the record, I was prepared to watch you sweep all four rounds, and if that had happened, not a soul could have said you didn't deserve it. Where are you located, dude? We should split a gig, if those are ever allowed again.)

3. Cavedwellers - What You Do

Let me start with this... I don't care if it's 26 words; the words in question are homonymically (is that a word?) identical, and I feel like it's still within the spirit of the rule, even if it doesn't follow the letter of the law. Extra cool points for (what sounds like) 12-string guitars, and a nonsense-syllable vocal hook that WILL NOT LEAVE ME ALONE IT'S SO CATCHY OH MY GOD. Between the guitar work, the backing vocals, the psychedelic outro with the fancy chord progression, and the little touch of letting the weird delay artifacts ring out at the end... Somewhere, in the distance, all four Beatles are smiling, and nodding to themselves. Super well done.

4. See-Man-Ski - Sometimes I Forget Myself

This one benefits from a close listen. I really dig the Beatles-esque flute patch and the doubled vocals. The guitar production values are SUPER high in just the right way - which is to say, not in a flashy, "look at my clever doubling and my stomp box collection," but in a way that serves the song, and gives buttery smoothness and crunchy intensity in the just the right spots.

Boffo Yux Dudes

Again, another tight SpinTunes Final. All of the songs are worthy of being champion. But we have to pick only one. 

I tried to take into account how skillfully the artists weaved the challenge into the song. Could I tell there was a word restriction? 

The emotion of Sober's song hits home. Great Banjo and Dobro. 

See-Man-Ski's layering and callbacks worked very well, and the surprise ending made the song feel home and full circle. 

Cavedwellers was one of my favorites - I wish there was wiggle room with homonyms, or if you had spelled it differently in your lyric sheet.

So, BYD's order is 

Also in Blue

See-Man-Ski

Sober

Cavedwellers

EmKayDeeBee

1. Also in Blue: Of all four finalists, yours was the one for me that hit near perfection. The word limit wasn’t limiting to your song, and had no feeling of boredom hearing your lyrics. The quality of your musical content just shines - this is a special song that tells a story, not just one that ticks the boxes of the challenge.

2. Seemanski - second place ranking for how you pushed the boat out with a less conventional song. It would have been improved by being allowed more words. A personal favourite part was your “I’m pretty sure”. As a parent, the lyrics resonated, and taking that route was a great choice.

3. Cavedwellers - It was a close call for second place between yours and Seemanski’s. His just pipped it for song originality. Yours, however would be one I would gladly hear regularly on the radio and enjoy. The repeated “do” was fun and a clever fill. Again, your song would have been improved if you had been allowed [even] more words.

4. Sober - There’s no questioning your skill and talent, but this fourth place ranking is down to the melodic content of your song. It just felt too repetitive, (I get that was the style, but there are ways you could have varied it to maintain interest). The lyrical repetition also began to grate after the second line. Not for me.

Jealous Brother

Cavedwellers - I like the song a lot, it sounds like Matthew sweet.  I thought the vocals/singing might have sounded better moved up a few steps.  Felt the melody lost some emotion being sung a bit too low.  I guess you broke the challenge and put one too many words, which is sad because I thought it would have been at least #2 here in terms of song quality. But dropped to 4 due to missing on the number of words. Really nice tune overall, refine a little and definitely keep this tune in your repertoire !  

Sober, Judgment is gonna come - Reasonable fulfillment of the challenge but didnt stick or stand out for me.  

See Man Ski, Sometimes I forget-  Reasonable fulfillment of the challenge but didnt stick or stand out for me.

Also in Blue, Forgotten Cities-- I think the lyrics are by far the best of the four! Excellent job with that!  Up until about two and a half minutes, I thought this song was really great.  I liked it a lot.  I really dig the vocals and the melody and guitar and instrumentation for the first 2.5 minutes, then you played with it, which is admirable ,  but overall it started to drag a little- to me the song should have ended at 2 and a half minutes because it was already great and it felt done. Landing stuck.  There was no need in my opinion, to keep repeating it.   That said, overall, this song to me was easily the best out of the four at fulfilling the challenge and as a song in it's own right.  End that song at 2.5 minutes and this is really, really great, fantastic.

#1 Also in Blue 4/4 points

#2 See Man Ski 3/4 points

#3 Sober 2/4 points

#4 Cavedwellers  1/4 points. 

Menage a Tune

ST 17 RD 4 judging by Menage a Tune with guest judge My Husband commenting beside me.

1.   Also In Blue   Forgotten Cities

What are you doing here?  Music of this caliber should only be available in venues where you pay too much for nachos and the tickets sell out 3 days after they are announced as being available. This song hits all the feels- soaring and sad at the same time, triumphant and crying all at once. The echos of your voice through the old ruins…amazing.

2.   Sober     Judgement is Gonna Come

And right next to Also in Blue, same stage, alternating who plays first is Sober, with a stunning offering.  Hubby wants to know if that is a banjo. I don’t care what it was, I am just amazed by it, and by your voice.  Wow!

3, Cavedwellers    What you do.

Happy feels because it reminds me of the sort of bubblegum music I liked in the 70’s.  It could be the opening song to 1973 family show almost. That dratted extra word!

4. See-Man-Ski   Sometimes I forget myself

Hit the challenge.  Kind of draggy, I know it is supposed to be sad but I didn’t feel for the person singing.  Interesting instruments at times.

 

Shadows-

Some of the Robots. Very Brief, short and silly and fun.

Jocko Homophism- Diagonal Zeal   Using letters as words is sneaky. Well done.

The Dutch Windows  Been a Blast  Nice harmonies. Sound is kind of flat? Like it was muffled.  Maybe if it was cheerier…I think you are thanking everyone for having you, and I do hope you come back for the next Spintunes!

Governing Dynamics  Don’t break me  Vocals are soft vs the drum, good sad lyrics.  Slow bluesy feel. Nice guitar picking.  Hubby sitting next to me- “I don’t know who the “Me” is that he doesn’t want us to pray to” Me- It’s “Don’t break me”, dear. “ Him- Oh.  Couldn’t make out the words.

Hot Pink Halo  You’re My Type  Interesting instrumentation.  Vocals are a bit weak and pitchy, a problem I know alllll too well. My excuse is I am getting older :D.

All the Robots (again)  Helicopter on Mars   I am singing this at the next Sci Fi Convention I attend!  Total earworm- REALLY catchy!

Menage A Tune  Wild Karen  Hubby thinks this one is the best of the shadows, but >I< think he is a bit prejudiced. Silly song by a silly person.  Oh, he also says the only thing wrong was I lost the Noo Yawkah accent a couple times.

Jealous Brother  Dear Judge  Yes, it IS perfect. I suspect you actually did put a lot of thought into it. Meta song is meta. Well done, and nicely addictive. 

Pigfarmer Jr

See-Man-Ski - Sometimes I Forget Myself - I like this quite a bit. But it reminds me a fair bit of “What It’s Like” by Everlast. From the single note riff to the rhythm/beat. Even though both are not *that* similar. And the doubled vocal a bit too, although it’s a bit less subtle here. I like the lyric. I like the arrangement. I like the mix. The vocal phrasing is interesting and works very well for me. This actually ranks up pretty high on the list of songs I like from you. Reading the lyric I’m not really sure what this is about. I kinda feel like it’s someone talking to their speed bag and regretting not keeping to their work out schedule. Yeah, I’m dense sometimes. You managed to use the title a ton but not make it sound overly used. This was my favorite on first listen.

Cavedewellers - What You Do - That opening riff starts just like that song “That Thing You Do” from the movie The Wonders. And I like the semi-similar throwback feel. You have a nice mix and the vocal arrangement works well for me. Are the busy guitars at and after 3:00 supposed to be weighted/panned on the left side? Cool ending with the delay. I like your verse melody a lot. I love how your chorus hits. It flows well from the verse and just feels good. I liked the bridge when listening through but the lyric phrasing seems off when I read it. I finally noticed that tasty bass run.

Also In Blue - Forgotten Cities - The opening riff reminds me a bit of Neil Young Harvest Era guitar playing. But that’s an easy comparison with the guitar style and the G&G backbone. I love your main vocal. The layered vocal section is great and a very nice touch. I like your lyric and I think you used repetition the best out of the four entries. Your arrangement is a little devious. There are a lot of tasty bits that get overlooked because of your excellent vocal. As a note, almost a full three seconds go by before your track starts. Normally I would decry this as a minor (trivial) detail but here it almost seems like we need that extra time to prepare us for your tune. This was my second favorite after the first listen but I think it’s become my favorite. But I have no idea why this isn’t titled “We Are The Stones”

Sober - Judgement Is Gonna Come - Nice vocal on the ending. Actually, nice vocal all the way through. Good tone and grit throughout and I like how you layer the repeat of the title line. This is a straight ahead take using your roots genre that doesn’t merely repeat the judgement day theme but feels like an extension. Repeating those riffs in guitar and banjo is super tasty. The hard panned banjo was noticeable and feels just a hair out of balance. But I liked it when the guitar took over the right side. That’s probably a nitpick that you don’t deserve as I don’t dislike your mixing choices here at all.  It’s amazing that you changed one word from the first verse to the second and two words from the second and the third and made it feel so damn good. On first listen I was very impressed at how well it worked. On subsequent listens, however, it got to be a bit obvious. You were my favorite in this contest, from first round to last.

All four of these songs were excellent and made the final round amazing. I’ve kind of changed my mind about the order a couple of times but I think they’ve finally fallen into place:

1. Also In Blue
2. See-Man-Ski
3. Sober
4. Cavedwellers

See-Man-Ski

I have loved listening to everyone’s entries during my working day and on walks and have taken inspiration where I can. There have been some incredible songs that I have had to pick my jaw up from the floor from.

 

Before I do, I would like to thank the judges, I find giving criticism and commenting incredibly hard on just a few songs, never mind the wave of tracks they have had to go through. I am incredibly grateful for the comments and each week has been a learning curve.

 

Here goes nothing, my words of wisdom ...

 

Cavedwellers - What You Do

 

I really enjoyed how upbeat this track is and it has some really nice melodic hooks that really grab you. The 12 string sounds lush and it really packs a punch. The musicality is superb and I would expect nothing less from you. I couldn't quite get into the lyrics, the music suggested something uplifting but the lyrics appear to be about break up and not listening to your loved one (that was my interpretation anyway) which didn't quite fit the mood. I couldn't quite figure out who was at fault in the scenario. The chorus suggests the singer is reacting to something someone has said but then it goes into different perspectives which I found muddled and confusing.

 

Also In Blue - Forgotten Cities

 

God damn, you are one talented guy. Every week has been gold and this is no exception. Every week you have left me thinking, I need to have a go at what he is doing. When those acoustic guitars hit you took me back to my Uni days, over 15 years ago now (that's depressing). I was a massive fan of the grunge era and this reminded me of some of the acoustic tracks put out. If I was going to match a song to it I would go for the Pearl Jam B side Footsteps, the Singles soundtrack also sprung to mind. That quickly evaporated when you start singing though, love the emotion that you get in your vocals and the layering is sublime. Awesome use of a string section, that adds so much depth and lifts it to a new level.

 

You definitely transported me to those war torn cities and done so well with so few words. Godsmacked.

 

Sober - Judgment is Gonna Come

 

You say those are your worst instruments, pah! Kudos for doing stuff that is out of your comfort zone. Cracking vocals as always. The theme of your lyrics is transparent and the chains at the start pay off as they instantly transport you to the incarcerated chap that you singing about his woes. I pictured a bunch of workers in striped outfits with pick axes. If I was going to nitpick I felt like it was a song about a group of guys stuck in prison, I would have liked some additional vocals in the verses maybe following the vocals as they are sung. In my head they would act as the other prisons agreeing with what your main protagonist is singing about. This is massively catchy and I loved the harmonies in the choruses, thinking about it I probably just wanted to hear more harmonies as they were so good.

 

All the Robots - Some of the Robots (SHADOW)

 

Short, sweet and incredibly fun.

 

Jocko Homomorphism - Diagonal Zeal (SHADOW)

 

Cool track, you lost me on the subject matter but that just adds to the charm of the track. The synths swirling around between my cans are a joy to listen to. I love a good geek tune and this definitely ticks the boxes.

 

The Dutch Widows - Been a Blast (SHADOW)

 

Great sentiment, a lovely way to end Spintunes. I love the groove it has a really nice sway to it. Your vocals are so chilled and I picture a group of friends at the end of a great night out, lounging out on a sofa.

 

Governing Dynamics - Don't Break Me (SHADOW)

 

Your vocals initially reminded me of Billy Corgan at the beginning and the guitars reminded me of Yellow Ledbetter by Pearl Jam (if you haven't guessed it by now I LOVE Pearl Jam). They then slipped into a Tom Waits style which I found intriguing. The guitar sounds are lovely and clean and they played off each other way in the lead up to the singing. I do feel like they lost their lustre a bit in the verses and there were a few timing issues. I would have liked something a bit more memorable in the chorus, the hook didn't quite stick in my head.

 

Hot Pink Halo - You're My Type (SHADOW)

 

Very slick instrumentation, it starts out very avant garde and then I'm transported back to good old Brit Pop. I am getting Sleeper vibes from the chorus and the way you sing in the track. The trumpets are a really nice touch and the Hammond organs are lovely jubbly. Really enjoyed this one, cracking art for the tune also. What the hell was that sound you ended on, it went a bit blade runner at the end which was really unexpected.

 

All the Robots - Helicopter on Mars (SHADOW)

 

A sea shanty about a planet which has no water (that we know of anyway), very clever. This is so much fun which all of your songs have been. The hook is infectious, I'm never gonna get that bad boy out of my head and the guitars are cracking.

 

Menage a Tune - Wild Karen (SHADOW)

 

I'm a sucker for putting a tonne of production (or trying to at least) in my tracks and I struggle when the tracks are limited. I thought the theme of lyrics held up well and the desperation in the "EXCUSE ME" parts were nice. I just felt it was a bit too simplistic and I wanted to hear more than what I got. I do really hope you recorded that in the middle of Walmart, that would take guts.

 

Jealous Brother - Dear Judge (SHADOW)

 

I've really loved your tunes throughout Spintunes, they are just my type of toe tapping greatness. The guitars are sublime and your vocal harmonies remind me of Teenage Fanclub. The lyrics are pretty scathing and hit a nerve (the poor judges ... I mean the fictious judge that you are singing about).

The Dutch Widows

1 - Also In Blue. Really polished production, vocally brilliant - the vocal tone is superb - lovely BVs, instrumentally great, and met the challenge effortlessly.  

2 - See-Man-Ski. Loved the opening guitar riff, the interweaving and balancing synth and guitar parts sounded superb, great vocal, and at no point did it feel like a song with limited words. 

3 - Sober. Such a great snarl to the vocal, although solo lead vocal sat into the mix a little to my ear - I preferred the fuller response vocal, which sat on top a little more - musically felt a little safe, but certainly didn't outstay its welcome.

4 - Cavedwellers. Lovely sunshine-y feel to it with great melodies, a lovely light open production, lyrically, to me, it felt the weight of the challenge more than the other songs, but irrespective of its merits, it has to rank fourth because of that extra word. 

Reviewer