These were all very good but I had to go with liking some better than others. Also—some of you used the challenge to stretch so far out of your comfort zones that it brought you out of your typical sounds and I appreciated that, as well as some of you expressing delight or being affected about it all. You’re all getting to the point where you’re equaling out even more in these later rounds—if that can even be believed anymore after such strong rounds 1&2.
This was a great contest by all.
This review was edited the most hurriedly out of all my others, so forgive any overlooks or mistakes.
The Popped Hearts - Tusen Takk
Jaunty Fun. I think it must be really hard to write a song in a language you don’t speak! Pattern with the steel drum got a bit insistent—but goofy rhymes had a swishy sort of delivery and quirky juxtaposition and I thought this was really cute, actually. Could have faded out sooner, but it was sunshiny, cheesy, and made me chuckle. Performed with personality and stood out in a quirky way.
Daniel Sitler - Everything Ends (Epilogue)
This was very lulling and went on for a while. My brain thought it should be feeling meditative, but instead felt a bit existentially spun up—a very out-in-space kind of vibe. Getting to arrival points was very almost—like musical taffy, but in a satisfying way. Strangely universal very compelling and lullaby-like. Sometimes your vocal got a sharp edge to it, but it was well-performed. It landed emotionally and wasn’t a struggle on the ears—you did all the pulling for me and my listener-laziness appreciated that.
Stacking Theory - Something That Was Never There
Really enjoyed your vocals. This lyric — “I’m stacking turtles beneath you, one after the other” really piqued my writing brain. Liked how you fit the challenge educationally and poetically into the words. I wanted things to rise up a bit more upward-directionally in the chorus and end on a more energetic tone as the chorus did, but your arrangement (especially percussion) was thoughtful and interesting with wonderful, subtle choices.
Balance Lost - Fade to White
The new techniques you utilized were cool and useful to the song from the very beginning when the lyrics started. Loved the high keyboard accompaniment and the octave chorus effect occasionally breaking into cool harmonies, but distortions got kind of tinny and grating to me and I had to ride volume knob a lot. Nice vocal vibrato on that high note, and by and large things were done with emotion and well sung.
The Pannacotta Army - From The Beginning
You made a really great overall sound here and this was smooth to listen to. Don’t know about the ba-ba-bahs going on as long as they did … shutting my eyes and picturing jazz sheep singing to me. But chords felt so nice and everything was so clean. Almost so soothing I didn’t expect the twitch when you got to u-tope-p-ANN. :) This had a really good feel to it though which was what did it for me. So easy.
Jeff Walker - With My Angels
LOVE how you challenged yourself. “Spiking the glutamate punch for a laugh / My imaginary friends get so excited” — great line. A lot of sounds, some of which distracted from one another, but this is very successfully genreless. Jazz country rap with a musical emphasis much less on country than your usual. Very easy listening—particularly the solo. This was so interesting.
Siebass - There’s Music All Around
This is an incredibly detailed bio but was entertaining to listen to without that or alongside lyrics. Beat-boxing was credible and charming even without explanation. Appreciated the narrative in the song and loved that chorus which had punch and direction. All the vocals fit the personality of the “band” particularly central verse and chorus sing-sy one, and thusly I could see the characters as if in an animated film. Some dialogue a bit over the top, but in a cartoon … I’d love to see that for this! The delivery was tightly reined in but also playful, and didn’t feel at all by the book.
The Alleviators - Figure This
Feels a little stilted time-wise and also perhaps a bit thin-textured at the beginning—which was offputting as I wanted vocals to come in a bit more solidly on that beat. So had a loose sort of feeling. It did pick up and get stronger and—then very strong. This was emotionally written and relatable, and I really started to buy into and then look forward to the delivery of the choruses because they really do build. Chorus—cool and honest, modern and appealing. Great line — “Neither easy or fun.” At times you felt very far away from one another musically, to me — then at other times, very closely melded together. Seems to fit the subject matter though.
Bubba & The Ghost of the Kraken - Castle Čachtice
I don’t know why I thought this was so hysterical and had to start it over twice. I can’t explain what this reminds me of and I’ve never really heard anything like it before. The piano sound is dodgy and a bit heavy handed perhaps at the beginning, but I love the time shift and everything you do is just pulling us to the next thing. So Awkward! But SUPER catchy and slick. This was so easy and comedic to listen to. Omg that last chord.
Ironbark - Bit By Bit
Progressing very slowly. Each element seems very, very crucial and very weirdly, deliberately built. Nothing is wasted here. A delicious combo of sounds. “0 out of 10 to maybe 3.7”— that’s great. Like the arpeggios against drums. The sudden beat break at the end. Arbitrary and jarring, out of context, but weirdly not unwelcome.
Cavedwellers - The Wrong One
Highly layered and clever. Grew on me with a nice rock and roll feeling finish. Solidly learned and implemented new technique that you swim along in like fish. Fits you nicely, I think. I think that if this is a new technique you learned, you have certainly practiced because this felt like you hit all the marks and put everything very deliberately and just so. I responded to this more cerebrally than with my feelings. That’s fine though, although lately you’d been getting me with a bit of both.
Jealous Brother - No Harm Will Come Your Way
This fits together strongly as a pretty puzzle, although the transitions feel trembly—so I like the structure. Like how you use the vocal going up into a contemplative and appropriate solo that then feeds out into your weirdest but smoothest “wrong turn” in the whole song. In fact, the deceptive movements and corresponding messages in lyrics (“this is how songs works”) make journey thru as a song judge an appropriate and slow building wash of style. Could have used more babysitting as a listener on the end as a fade though.
Tunes By LJ - Salty Air
This really grooved along. It had interesting and jazzy voicings which used each key center well. The chord progressions in the verses utilized a lot of modal qualities, and certain notes really popped out in your melody by design. So lots of movement and a beachy vibe! Love that organ. You actually sound to me like you have a solid command over harmonic movements and clean voice leading within progressions whether you are in your C, your G, or transitioning between them either way. So as this was a learned technique, well done and pleasing to the ear.
Phlub - I Love Them Chickadees
Felt a bit loud and distorted but harmonies are great. This is a very entertaining topic. I think I always wanted to go hunting for birds. I really heard the word ‘chickadee’ a lot in this song. If you hadn’t told the charming story about your father, I might have thought this whole thing was an excuse to go “tit tit tit” during bird solo. That amused me mightily because I am twelve. This is really endearing, and informative though—and I like how lyrics flow and all those bird facts. This was a fun shuffling instrumental to set it to with a tight ending.
Governing Dynamics - Whisper Gentle Rain
“start to worry if I got well / I wouldn't recognize myself” — great opening line. Some of your lyrics would come across better if word emphasis landed on beats more strongly or a phrase shape of a sentence didn’t fall or glide off under the instrumental. Meandered to its close like a slow dance. I wouldn’t say 9/8 is boring, but it does drag on a tad. Smooth as always but use of slide makes it still sound wistful and sort of sadly hopeful.
Temnere - Destiny Awaits
This went on a bit but had a fun break in the middle. This was funny, and there’s something really pleasing about the second line of the chorus—uplifts and carries it into the rest of the section and then ends with a strong, punchy, cutlass pumping into the air pirate-rock sound. Vocals got a bit growly for me and gwargaly and I began to think of muppets storming a cliff side castle or singing in a tavern. It was very niche, I think. Do like that you went to the challenge with a lot of gusto.
Mandibles - What Just Happened?
I’m sorry about the argument troubles. That’s really hard and I feel you with the mile-a-minute-over explain (this is me.) Time shifts feel discombobulating and so do conflicting textures. But this grew on me and felt like a cohesive song and story in the end. Not awkward. Beautiful singing, of course. Feeling the dramatic tone of the lyrics-to-performance, again thinking this is a good theatrical set sound (may have said this to you before?). Letting this ring at the end was a good choice. I think I am liking the dichotomy of sounds more and more in this act.
Sober - O Sweet Death
A stylistic vocal performance that takes me over an edge at times, but it works for the set of understated implications this song may or may not have for you personally apart from your bio. I had my own family feelings about these lyrics—so it’s good to write a song and give a delivery that will cut across into meaning for other people, I think. You do not sound like anyone else I’ve ever heard. I’m a twinge envious wishing I could get a clap to sound crisp like a tennis ball hitting brick (that was really cool). Feel of instrumentals into V2 really pleasing. By the second chorus, I’m feeling this vibe a lot so well arranged as a journey.
chewmeupspitmeout - Condemn Me [SHADOW]
I do think that you respected stylistically very well what the AI wrote. The distortions hit me pretty hard, but I liked the vocal interplay. I did enjoy the melody and the hand claps are servicing the chanty march melody. I wonder what the prompt was that you gave it—and if you were as general as to give it just some random songwriting prompt … OR … if this is one of those creepy Haunted Internet sort of things where the AI wrote a song and the lyrics were just this ghostly and creepy. Oooooooooshudder. Anyway.
I really wish there was nothing obscuring what is a really compelling vocal performance. I liked some of the moving lines coming behind running beats that may have gone with the theme. At any rate, you really set a tone.
Hot Pink Halo - All The Information Is On The Task [SHADOW]
ha! Great song bio. Recording feels a bit hissy but this is a really nice use of chorus for you on the vocal. I thought your lyrics and vocal the strongest part of the song, but wanted the chorus to pull through a bit faster and the drums to get out of the way a bit of your softer sounds. Your vocal performance is great on this and makes this feel really kind of floaty in the head although it bounces and bumps a bit in there too. Nothing was poorly chosen though, and modally it felt comfortable. I really liked the sizzle at the end!
Mandrake - What if? [SHADOW]
Fun Dissonances and sticky distortion against rounder bell sounds make this mumbled meditative whisper-sizzle very interesting and appropriate as a message and to your point. Beepy and fuzzy and appropriately troubling, but gives time for enforced breathing with some soothing and well-balanced sounds against the more grating textures. Nice balance choices and charming to the ear. Exactly and cleverly hit the mark.
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