ST17.4 Reviews and Rankings - Denise Hudson

 FINALS

My rank if it matters for round 4 is
Also in Blue
Sober
See-Man-Ski
Cavedwellers



Spintunas

This was an impossible choice and some fun shadows. You are all first place in my heart even though this is cheeseball talk. But it was like saying to choose favorites between beloved bands or something. So even more grain of salt-y here. Same drill about how you’re all winners. Well done everyone. 


Also In Blue - FORGOTTEN CITIES
Vocal is pristine and achingly beautiful - a ghostly backing vocals on a gorgeously stretched out phrase. Your orchestration is textbook beautiful evocation with every layer coming in just so well. I love the layered voices with the flute in the middle—followed by judicious silence. You are really good at bringing the listener into an emotional environment and then delivering a message on both a lyrical and a body-feel sonic level. Your treatment of the subject matter is respectful, tasteful, and you have seemed to spin an emotional visual that really tracks. This is perfectly well done. 

Sober - JUDGMENT WILL COME FOR YOU
You are just as effective with your dazzling-but-passionate instrumentals in this belt-y, blues-y setting I see. Subject matter a perfect choice for a call and response. Makes one feel like they are being taken to school, or maybe to church. Very strong drums, but in a way it made me feel like I was in a dance hall or revival setting; and I loved how they began with the chains slowly becoming a sort of high hat or tambourine. Exposed choir and solo parts were fanciful and also mindfully laid. This is neat work instrumentally—but the vocal performance made me believe. And my goodness that vocal note at the end!

See-Man-Ski - SOMETIMES I FORGET MYSELF
Love the mixture of electronic beat and acoustic as a bed of introduction. Stellar use of silences, and as usual a lovely build. I love the not-rhyming, because it makes it seem important. Really fresh sounding wind patch against that crunchy guitar and a beautiful end vocally to this nicely chosen subject matter. I really like this a lot, particularly the end with the belted out repeated line ending on a quiet “you know it is….” Your vocal is gorgeous and passionate. I am made to feel something. 

Cavedwellers - WHAT YOU DO
Your use of suspension/resolutions and majors/minors pulls listener into the song in an epic way, although not sure what it’s going to be emotionally with the vocal. You’re using major motion picture chord progressions—and they make this sound dramatic and cool against this rock band setting with churny and rainy effects and ethereal echoes. The hooks are solid and catchy and as usual, your wordplay is clever and story-oriented- with a perfectly serviceable pop vocal dancing around those fun chords. I like how the guitar solo plays a good match game with the lead vocal feell a bit. Dead on!


SHADOWS in no ORDER

Some of the Robots -ALL OF THE ROBOTS
Well this is an adorable mess of fun! It’s catchy and short-two of my favorite things. Caught up in a whirlwind of an introduction. Love “we’ve got” rhyme with “robot.” (Nice job on your Dave cover, btw as well). 

Jocko Homorphism - DIAGONAL ZEAL
Opening fabulous. Tempo frightened me, but in a really cute way. And loved the piano and synth flourishes. Just hangs together fun and absolutely requires the lyrics for me follow along to—but they’re jammed in there real clever like a car racing video game. 

The Dutch Widows - BEEN A BLAST
This is The Dutch Widows on a cruise ship with a disco ball. Echoey and boppy like a bit much punch and looking at the ceiling spinny. I love you guys so much.

Governing Dynamics - DON’T BREAK ME
I love this beginning—feels like coffee on a road trip. You really set a scene. It’s a bit sad, but that is not at all suprising--and your vocal is really really nice. Another jewel in your case. 

Hot Pink Halo - YOU’RE MY TYPE
I love this wormy sound of all the instrumentation against your vocal. Well chosen dissonances and expertly placed jazz tones. I like your vocal so much I want even more of it clearer up in the mix. The organ is so SELECT!

All the Robots - HELICOPTER ON MARS
I love this. I laughed the entire time. I feel like you’re really getting the whole point of music for me—which is that it is fun and it is a Toy meant for our amusement. I hear they put a helicopter on Mars. 

Menage a Tune - WILD KAREN
This was very annoying, but I think this was your grand plan—so well done here. If you develop this into a Memes of 2021 musical, put horns and drums and dancing Karens and that hook that pulls people off the stage for the end. Maybe a clown to pull the Karen off the stage?

Jealous Brother - DEAR JUDGE
Dear Jealous Brother—

I for one, feel I was not a very good judge, but you were a very nice contestant. I love your deadpan delivery here and your guitar noodles and solos are juicy—but it all sort of belies your point that you didn’t put thought or effort into it all. ;) I think your sonic-letter is clever  and your band-sound is a ton of fun. This is a nice ear sit—and I still maintain that the thing I remember most from this contest is gonna be “JELLLLLous BROTHER!”” from round one. That’s just how ears work when they are attached to my head I guess!

With that, I will say that including this offering from Jealous Brother, I got everything I wanted and more from all the contestants—every song is fulfilling and thoughtful. So no JB, I am not in agreement with your premise. You all surely brought songs above and beyond what challenge demanded!

Love love love
Denise H / Ranger Denni!