See-Man-Ski, "Supernatural Way" –
This ended up being a really moving love song.
In contrast to your last song, you used soothing vocals with harmonies way down in the mix. As you admitted, you don’t really drone, but you keep returning to the tonic every couple of bars. It basically has the same effect as a drone, at least in the verses.The slight rhythm guitar overdrive here and there adds some warmth, and the sparse John Mayer-esque leads answer your vocals starting in the second verse.
Lyrically, your formula works. You list superhuman abilities in the style of a sonnet writer (i.e. "let me count the ways"). Ironically, you list things your wife is not and choose to love her, which is perhaps a more mature love than depicted in most sonnets. For you, she is "supernatural" just the way she is. I'm sure she appreciated that.
The formulaic repetition works well for engaging the listener. In this case, it leaves us to imagine what sort of superhero each power might belong to. It's a clever tool to draw us in.
I only have one problem with the song. Most of the song rhymes, and then the bridge suddenly does not. I’m not sure what I think about that. Some songwriters forgo rhyming in order to sound more conversational (i.e. a talking blues) but, in this case, I don't see any reason for not rhyming. It sounds a little awkward. That's really my only criticism.
Governing Dynamics, "Two Different Worlds" –
Here's a weird comparison for you: your guitar bends and droning organ remind me vaguely of Japanese Gagaku theater. What’s that? Check this link out at six minutes: https://youtu.be/rRM_FNooJHc It’s totally ethereal, and the mouth blown Gagaku reed organs aren’t that far off from the droning organ effects you’re creating here.
You use some interesting guitar sounds. The low, fuzzy compressed guitar in combination with the raspy male voice works well, as do the descending "ah" vocal harmonies shortly after. The shared male and female vocals lend themselves well to the gender-bending theme of this tune.
The scalewise wandering of chords at the bridge surprised me some, but once the transition was established, it quickly became my favorite part. It's full of momentum and change, which works well for a journey across dimension and gender. It could lead anywhere. Drone music works with that.
This was a very original idea. Your band has its own unique sound. I appreciate that. There is definitely a well-established Governing Dynamics vibe, in terms of both lyrics and music. Having an identity is ¾ of the battle.
Sober, “From Either Side of the Grave” –
I think this would have made a better instrumental. I understand what you are saying, but the elements that made your previous two songs better – insider lingo, history, and attention to physical detail – were missing from this one. This is a very general lyric.
That said, those banjos are amazing! The delivery is breakneck and brazen, like a classic fiddle breakdown, but somehow it sounds modern and relevant, like a rock guitar melody. As you said, it’s “Bad Brains on banjo”! The tone and timbre of your voice really creates a mood, as well, but that happens with everything you do. I can see why you narrate audio books. You’ve got a hell of a voice, full of character and gravitas.
Also in Blue, “Doppelganger” –
Another side of ‘70s? This is a bit like Stevie Wonder, though, or maybe Steely Dan…
Musically, there’s a lot of subtle things going on here. The droning vocal harmonies floating above everything may be the best part of this tune. They have that “neither fish nor fowl” harmonic quality that lends itself to modal music. The synth drives the rhythm subtly. The claps and rimshots, the same. The electronic drums fit the period between late ‘70s and early ‘80s R&B when synth technology was becoming more prevalent. It’s a really active but subdued groove that demonstrates some finesse. Everything you do tells me that you’re a hell of a musician!
Lyrically, there isn’t much of a story here, though, which is a departure from your other stuff. I think I like the story songs a little better. You’re very good at creating a point A to point B narrative. This isn’t really that. It’s basically an outright description of what a doppelganger is. You capture the emotion of that situation in the final verse, but there isn’t any resolution because there isn't much of a plot. There isn't any real conclusion, either, because you weren't arguing any particular point of view.
Phlub, “Yeti”
Great song concept. Cryptozoology was a cool direction to take this challenge. I can't think of another song about a yeti, or a yeti researcher for that matter. I'm sure there are some out there somewhere, but nothing comes to mind. It's not a common topic.
Musically, there is no melody, but that’s fine. In a way, not having a melody is a total embrace of the challenge (i.e. even the melody is a drone!). Vocally, you’re basically rapping or canting. This is “Subterranean Homesick Blues” on a mountain in a snowstorm. You’re very good at overwhelming the senses with rapid fire imagery and sound. Lyrically and physically, it's overwhelming. The static and drone instill a sense of snow blindness (how do you create the sound of blindness?). Your music is totally mental. I love it!
Lyrically, you have a chorus and I can understand the words (without the sheet) nearly all the way through. That isn't essential for a good song, but it definitely makes it easier to digest in short order. I like the “I must I must I must I must…” utterance. The insistent repetition of words, the persistence and fanaticism of the yeti researcher.
For me, this ranks only slightly below your “religious revelation at a rave”. Your music takes me somewhere else. Sometimes, it even makes me ask the question, “What is music?” Some say “humanly organized sound”. If so, this is highly organized by design, a complete sensory experience. I would have ranked it high on the list.
Hot Pink Halo, “Start Again”
This is the best song I've heard from you and, perhaps, the best song of this round (too bad it's a shadow!).
Musically, there’s a lot going on here. The fingerpicked dominant seven chord serves as the ground (not exactly a pedaltone, but at least a center). Rhythmically, the electronic bass drum pulse provides the drive in an otherwise quiet setting. Off the beat, the African-sounding pen-click sixteenths become deliberate and insistent. These basic percussion parts push the song along in a subtle way. Using a pen was fitting for a song about filling in a crossword.
I also like the contrast between sections. The A section sounds like mindful attentiveness. The B section has a mood of contemplation about it. They are contrasted mainly by the use of reverb, the first section having less, the second, more. You are very strong at arranging different combinations of instruments in unique ways to evoke a shift in perception.
Lyrically, this starts off seeming to have nothing to do with the supernatural. You’re just filling in the crossword. At least, that seems to be the case until the horoscope appears on the adjacent page, which turns an otherwise mundane event into a search for meaning in life. So great is your yearning to know about the future that you indulge yourself in the supernatural revelations of the horoscope. In that lens, everything becomes a journey. Crossword decision making becomes decision making in life. The daily horoscope becomes voodoo.
The takeaway? Life is like completing a crossword puzzle.
Red Watcher, "3 AM Again"
Nice vocals! It's good to hear your voice. Many of your reviews have gone against the crowd in this competition. I can appreciate that because my tastes generally run contrary, as well. I was wondering what your own music must sound like. You have a good sense of melody.
The lyric is not overtly supernatural, but 3 AM is the witching hour and being up late can play tricks on the senses. Many can relate to the sentiment, "Why am I awake?"
Musically, I didn't particularly hear a drone, although the synth strings have some sustained chords here and there. I like the drum part, which quietly marks time, almost like drips in the sink. The simple synths leave plenty of space, growing imperceptibly in volume and expansiveness, until the end effect is dream merging with reality, as if at the moment of sleep. Nice job.
Red Watcher, "Searching For You"
I'm pretty sure this is a praise song, and if so, I'm glad a handful of religious material made it into this competition. Micah's song from the last round was beautiful. This one, a bit more lively, but I can imagine it being used for worship, which is a supernatural affair.
Musically, your vocals are centered on pitch. The syncopation of the piano accompaniment moves the tune along, giving it some energy. I have to admit, I don't hear much of a drone.
Lyrically, this is a song about God, but it doesn't overtly acknowledge it. There are no specific references to any particular religious text, which means it might play well in vastly different religious services representing various dominations. If that's the intention, it works.
That feature also limits it, though. Lyrics tend to be better when they mention specific names and places. It helps create a setting in the listener's head, like putting up little flags that reach out to people's shared experiences in the physical world. Overall, this lyric is general enough that I have trouble getting attached to it in that sort of way. Even so, there are four particular lines that I really like:
You defy the science
You define the truth
You deny the chaos
You decide the use
No one can accept
The alliteration of the D's sounds nice, and these four words –science, truth, chaos, and use – are direct enough references to common philosophical arguments about the nature of reality that they really move me. In a materialistic society that trusts and reveres science and tech, the supernatural nature of God shows that order and purpose can come out of something (or Someone) beyond the scope of the empirical.
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