See-Man-Ski has found himself unable to serve as a judge for this round, but will be back for Round 3. In the meantime, I am grateful to have secured the services of a substitute: Vom Vorton, a regular participant in Song Fight, Nur Ein, SpinTunes and FAWM both on his own and as a member of the duo Vowl Sounds. I'm especially grateful that he could provide us with fair and thoughtful reviews on short notice. Thank you Vom!
Continue reading for Vom Vorton's full reviews.
Hello everyone! Vom Vorton here, I’ll be your last-minute Easter Bunny / Spintunes substitute. I’m a little rusty on reviews but I’ll do my best. Not much to report in terms of judging criteria - I split the songs out into four “buckets”, basically positive / mixed (leaning positive) / mixed (leaning negative) / negative and used that as a vague basis for my initial rankings that I then revised as I listened more and wrote. I don’t think there’s any issue with any of the songs meeting the challenge, but whether you managed to make your one-word chorus interesting in the context of a ton of repetitive choruses inevitably ended up affecting my view of the song overall.
Berni Armstrong - Sleep
I’m afraid I’ll be kicking off my reviews with one of the more negative ones - this immediately got on my bad side with that grating, tinny acoustic guitar sound - it sounds like it was recorded direct which I find generally gives an unpleasant tone, but either way it twangs in a way that feels mismatched with the generally smooth and sombre tone of the song. The lyrics are solidly crafted in terms of rhythm and rhyme but it feels like a very “basic wikipedia” summary of What Sleep Is without any real insight or any particularly striking use of language. There are songs this round that turn the one-word chorus into a strength but this isn’t one of them. The harmonies on the final repetition are a good idea to add a little variation, but too little, too late - ultimately I found this song very dull.
The Pannacotta Army - Moar
This is a pleasant listen with a nice kinda melancholy groove, there are some nice subtle variations in the arrangement with the filtered drums, melodica (?) outro etc. The vocal melody feels like it could use a little variation though, or the harmonies could be more of a feature - there’s a feeling that once I’ve heard the first few lines of this song then I’ve heard it all, and that goes for the lyrics too - I don’t get the feeling that this has much to say beyond “greed = bad” and I could use a little wit or specificity to elevate that.
Yeslessness - White Feather
This is unusual and intriguing, I have no idea what the song is about but the lyrics are appealingly mysterious and the layered, hushed vocals work really well - although in places the timing of the layers feels like it could be a little tighter to really make the effect work as well as possible. Nice use of the stereo field to add an extra layer of interest to the choruses, combined with the strong melody this is a strong take on the challenge. There are songs here that gripped me more immediately than this one, but this really grew on me over the course of a few listens.
Bubba & The Ghost of the Kraken - Hideaway
Another really strong take on the challenge, dragging out the first syllable of your One Word and then adding the kinda Beach-Boys-esque harmony on the repeats makes this really stand out. I don’t think the verse works quite as well, I think maybe it’s a mistake to have the octave-doubled vocals right from the very start of each verse when you could introduce it and have more of an interesting build to the chorus.
chewmeupspitmeout - Love Song
Those bright synths and rhythmic guitars on the intro really grabbed my attention. There are a bunch of interesting things going on in this track but I’m not sure they all totally work together - the lower-energy crooned vocal feels like it doesn’t always fit, in particular. It’s fine on the pre-chorus and on the sparser second verse with that big reverb (which is a clever match for the ‘slurred words’) but I feel like you could have switched gears to give a little more energy in other places. The premise of the lyrics is an interesting one although I think it could have used a little more clarity over whether it’s written from the drunken arrogance of the dancefloor or the hangover afterwards as at the moment I feel like it falls somewhere in between.
Stacking Theory - Breathe In and Hold It
The harmonies on your Yeah! chorus are exquisite, this really lifts off in a beautiful way. That got me immediately on the first listen, the meaning of the lyrics hit me when I revisited this and lifted it further. No critique to offer, this is top-tier stuff. This isn’t the yeah you’re waiting for, but it’s a definite YEAH from me.
Jeff Walker - Unforgivable
Solid classic rock sound here with some really nice emotive lead guitar playing. The vocal feels like it’s mixed too high and too dry, it doesn’t blend too well with the instrumental and leaves this feeling a little “karaoke” to me - a shame since everything else about it is so well executed. The lyrics have some poetic word choices and striking images without fully drawing me into the story, but your single-word chorus works well.
Daniel Sitler - Awkward
Really love this one, the lyrics are sharply written and feel personal and specific and the way you build the arrangement works beautifully. I love the way the first verse has a raw, kinda folk-punk feel to it then the pre-chorus shifts into a more elaborate melody in a way that reminds me of Elliott Smith. The way it drops back to the basics for the chorus then layers in that subtle organ (?) as it builds back into the verse, really effective. One of my favourites on first listen and I kept picking up new subtleties on repeat listens, excellent stuff.
The Evil Genius formerly known as Timmy - Maria
I like the lyric quite a bit, big fan of songs that look back on powerful teenage emotions through more mature eyes. The synthpop arrangement is well done but I don’t feel it quite captures the wistfulness of the story - it’s catchy but I feel like a more emotional, swooning treatment would really bring that heightened drama out of the lyrics. It sometimes feels like you’re rushing through the lyrics too, I’m not always looking for songs to be polished to a perfect sheen but it does feel like this one could use a little more work.
James Young - War
This is well executed and the vocal in particular is strong - I like the saturated sound. Good job on the challenge, the melody for the one-word chorus is a memorable hook. The lyrics don’t do a lot for me though, this feels like a song about war that anyone could have written and I wish there was some unique element added to set it apart. Each verse and chorus also feels very samy too, that same march beat and the same dynamics.
Single Pint of Failure - Alone
This has a really enjoyable, effortless-feeling vibe, but for some reason it doesn’t really click with me until the bridge, which is excellent - love that filthy layer of fuzz in the background. Obviously it’s hard not to judge this against the Stacking Theory song which really hits me emotionally in a way this doesn’t, quite. But they’re both very good indeed, and the arrangement and dynamics here are excellent.
Tunes By LJ - Capital
This has such a winning vibe, jazzy and breezy. Love the harmonies and that parping bass under your single-word chorus. The time signature feels very natural, never forced. The way the percussion drops out at the end is effective too, draws the ear to the words which aren’t offering the easy good-vibes that the song might otherwise leave me with.
Balance Lost - Lost
That melancholy chord change on the third line of the verse immediately caught my ear and the layered vocals and ba-ba-bas on the chorus are a great way to elevate the single-word thing - very ‘Near Wild Heaven’. Very ‘Near Wild Heaven’, haha. The lyrics don’t necessarily stand out but they perfectly complement the general vibe. Not much to critique here, I feel like the transition into the bridge is maybe a little awkward, although the transition back out of it again is very lovely indeed.
Hot Pink Halo - Phosphorescence
Excellent chorus, strong falsetto and the choice of a multi-syllable word sets this apart from the many songs that just went with repeating a single syllable. I like the arrangement too, nice use of sparkling keyboard sounds. I’m not as fond of the verses, the melody feels a little tentative and there are breaks in sentences (this time we really…) that feel a little stilted where I want them to flow.
Also In Blue - Please
That piano riff is so catchy, having that in there as the main hook is a clever way to address the limitations of the challenge, and I like you get right in there at the start of the song, I’m immediately looking forward to hearing it again. Really strong, emotional vocal and I love the way each chorus is arranged subtly differently and they get more and more anthemic. This is a great pop song and the short length makes me want to play this several times in a row - one of my favourites.
Jealous Brother - Oumuamua
I wonder if the genesis for this song was finding the most fun single word to sing? It really works, the chorus brings a smile to my face. I like the idea of comparing an interstellar object to a short-lived fling (at least I think that’s what’s going on here) but I’m not sure the lyric quite gets there, the story feels like it needs to fleshed out just a little more. It’s a lot of fun though and the surfy guitars sound great.
Phlub - Tygart Dam
This is very well done, you’ve fit a whole lot of story in here and the lyrics flow really well, full of wit and detail. Very clever, funny choice of word for the chorus. Musically, I’m not too familiar with the genre but this sounds very authentic and the instrumental interludes are well deployed. This wouldn’t necessarily be one of the songs from this round I’d want to hear over and over but I’m going to have to rank it pretty high because I think you set yourself a tricky task and executed it very well!
Temnere - Deutsch
I have a 1600+ day streak on Duolingo for German and I thought this was hilarious. Just the right level of German that I could understand the lyrics without help, and they’re very amusing indeed. Heavy guitars sound good and I really like the dynamics, you know when to leave some space and when to really rock out and it’s very enjoyable. As per the Phlub review above, I’m not sure this one would remain in my rotation quite as long as some other songs this round, but you’ve set out with a particular mission in mind and executed it superbly!
The Popped Hearts - The Second Best Time To Plant A Tree
The verse chords are so extremely Lemonheads-esque and that is an easy route to my heart. Some really fun stuff going on in the lyrics, the explanation of “oaves” in the song notes made me laugh and the “T O D A Why?” bits are charming. I’m strongly genre biased towards this one but after a few listens I did find myself wishing the arrangement and mix were tightened up just a little bit, even if the style of the song makes it very easy to get away with those things - I would say maybe the subtle chorus (?) on the guitar makes it a little muddy in places, the solo could either be a little more interesting or scrapped entirely, and the fade out at the end feels like a bit of a “we forgot to write an ending” afterthought. But this is good fun and I enjoyed it.
Mandibles - Désirée
The layered harmonies on the chorus work beautifully, another song where you’ve found a smart way to fulfill the challenge in a clever and interesting way. The offbeat rhythms in the chorus are really interesting too, but the rest of the song I find pleasant without being particularly memorable - feel like the guitar solo could be a LOT shorter but that might just be personal taste, I also feel like it’d be nice if the arrangement / dynamics swelled to better support the vocals shifting into a higher register before the final chorus.
Governing Dynamics - Predestination
I feel like I almost love this one but something is stopping me from ever quite getting there. The crisp clean guitars over the cloud of fuzz sound good, the vocal has a good vibe, the way the fuzz drops out to give the bass and clean guitar the second verse is a smart choice. It’s a good song that never quite captures my attention like the ones I’ve ranked above it. Best guitar solo of the round though, I reckon?
Cavedwellers - Owzat! (Dismissed)
Really struggled with this one. Admittedly I do not care about cricket in the slightest (yes I am British) but that wouldn’t matter if the melody / arrangement / energy could win me over. None of that really did much for me either, unfortunately - I found this to be competent but dull, it left me completely cold.
thanks, brain - Strange
I feel like this should be right up my street, I like the genre and the concept, but it doesn’t quite grab me - I think it might be the half-time chorus always feeling like a bit of a comedown, where I want high energy. The three verses also feel pretty much identical, feel like there might be an opportunity for that classic trick of dropping out to bass for one verse and then crashing the guitars back in for the chorus. I like the synth harpsichord at the end though, that’s a cool, unusual choice.
JW Hanberry - Maladjusted
The production is cool here, it feels like you’re in full control of all the synths and weird electronic noises you’re using, and it’s effective when the fuzzy guitar riffs kick in. I’m not really sold on the song though, I suspect you’re less interested in conventional hooks than most of the entrants here but I can’t deny that I really wish there was something here that would stick in my head after I’d finished listening.
“BucketHat” Bobby Matheson - Time Enough At Last (Vellichor)
Vellichor is indeed a cool word. I didn’t get much out of this song though, the muffled guitars don’t sound good to me, there’s a lack of variation in the drums (accentuated by the way they start and end independently to the rest of the song), the melody feels over-familiar with a tinny reverb on the vocals that accentuates the sibilance in a way I find really grating (although the vocal is solid otherwise, and you hold that long note very well).
Brother Baker feat. Father - Free
The piano feels really robotic and awkward, which really holds this song back for me - I like most other things about it but then that piano pops back up and pulls me out of the moment. The layered vocals sound great, the mix is really big and punchy and I like the way you change up the chords under the chorus to keep it interesting - but I just can’t get past that piano.
Good Niche Gracious - Katzenfrühstück
It pains me to say this as a devoted cat person and synthesizer fan but I found this very annoying indeed. It even feels like it’s been carefully mixed to make sure the annoying parts are as loud as possible. I did not enjoy listening to it.
Sober - Home
This is a solid country song with some nice twangy guitar and impressive whistling, and I’d be happily ranking it much higher if it wasn’t for one thing, and I’m sure you already know what it is. Every time you do that donkey-bray thing with your voice I have to fight the urge to turn the song off immediately. I’m sure it’s at least partially a taste thing, but to me it sounds awful. Absolute song-wrecker.
The Alleviators - Sigh
Good song, excellent vocal, and “sigh” is an excellent choice of word for this kind of chorus. The drums feel way too punchy and busy for the genre though which holds the song back a little IMO - feels like a mellow indie-pop band have borrowed the drummer from a hard rock band who doesn’t know how to tone it down.
Siebass - Home
Good song, good performance, good mix - but it feels to me like you come right out of the gate already at full intensity on all of those things where more of a build in the vocals and arrangement (and maybe some more dynamics in the mix, which feels very squashed) would have been more effective - especially considering this is one of the longest songs of the round, it feels like the current version gets a little exhausting by the end. Still very good though!
Ironbark - Désolé
Beautifully written and performed, this feels like a song that would be perfectly enjoyable with just guitar and vocals, but the extra instrumental touches are delightful. The lyrics / storytelling are wonderful, and the dual meaning of the title / chorus hits hard.
Jerkatorium - Yeah
This is catchy and fun but I’m really not a fan of the meta lyrics, just a massive turn-off for me. Everything else is good so it’s not a total deal-breaker but certainly makes this song feel extremely disposable in a way I’d rather it didn’t.
Simon Purchase James - Existe los Regalos
Pretty song, the picked guitar and bass make for a lovely subtle arrangement (although I wish the bass was a little less… metallic?) and the vocals are really nice. It’s so long though, and long in a way I don’t really understand - why repeat every section in two languages? It just feels so redundant, and kinda like being talked down to? Even without understanding much Spanish, I can pick up the emotion without needing the translation served up on a plate for me.
Mandrake - Magpies [SHADOW]
Love the bendy, chiptuney synth programming and digital birdsong FX! Wish the vocals weren’t so muffled. This is a fun listen though.
Daniel Sitler - Not A Cello (Headphone Warning) [SHADOW]
Haha, this is wonderfully abrasive. The distortion on the main vocal is gnarly as hell, glad I had the lyrics to read as they’re very funny.
Night Sky - Lonely Alexander [SHADOW]
Really fun! Love the vibe of that bassline - it feels like spy music, but is also weirdly fitting for the story of a lizard - and the organ for the wedding / tragedy section! Some good rhymes in here too.
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