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Alleviators - A Trick of the Light
Is this a rondo?
A: Chorus, the "no need to charge/.../everything all of the time bit".
B: Beka takes lead for a <episode 1>
A: Back into the chorus, not much different
C: <episode 2> indicated well in the lyrics. Beka on vocals
A: A variation of the chorus that's softer the first time through
D: <episode 3> Double Travis on vocals, and a cool atmospheric break
A: A more energetic take on the chorus, only ending differently into the brief "everything is gonna be alright" section.
Yep, this sure is a rondo!
This is catchy, I like the repeating "everything everything" that comes in the chorus. It's repetitive. While Travis is no slouch on vocals, Beka's are especially strong, especially when she gets the opportunity to take over. The only time in the song the vocals aren't super strong is that the intonation of the word "lines" at 1:25. And that's just nitpicking! Lyrically, I'm not entirely sure what narrative we've got. It's inspiring and a good ode to a strong relationship. The dynamic with that wildly building melody in the B and C sections is wild. The chorus ends up feeling relatively restrained by comparison. And the transition from the D section back to the A starts off kind of awkwardly. Like the other sections are so interesting, and generally have more unrestrained vocals, I find myself feeling like the chorus is biding time cause until the last chorus it never really matches the enery of the surrounding verses? The end sample makes me grin naturally cause my kids have said stuff like that to me.
Cheslain - Not Losing Sleep
Is this a rondo?
Intro: funky riff
Chorus: basically the same funky riff as the intro, but with vocals.
Verse 1: different riff
Chorus: back to the funky riff
Verse 2: switch up, now it's slower and relaxed!
Chorus: back to the funky riff
Verse 3: a new gnarly phrygian riff for a bit, instrumental break
guitar solo: back to the funky riff until we get an abrupt halt
Well, I suppose that was a rondo. The third section felt a little under developed, as it was functionally just a short bridge leading into another short bridge reprising the chorus/intro chords...but since it's the C section, I feel like there should be more going on there. Something more adventurous in the instrumental, a solo, instead it's just kind of a new phrygian riff that...phrygians for a bit and moves on. Not much of a D in your aABACADaA*...but a D no less.
Production sounded great, very slick, everything filled out my headphones just as I would have liked it to! Lyrics are way bleaker than the funky instrumental suggests,but hey what CAN you really do? I guess -- hide? Your protagonist is resigned to his fate, caught up in whichever war or insurgency or civil unrest has engulfed his area. "Its the end of the world as I know it, and I feel fine" yet you're literally getting bombed...serenely.
Distance - Found No One
Is this a rondo?
BACADA, three choruses, three verses, I think this counts? It fit the challenge. That said, it wasn't immediately obvious when each of your sections started and ended. Upon closer examination I was able to pick it apart well enough, and since it fits the required structure, I must give you a checkmark for that.
Goodness, I thought I was being abstract with my UUID entry, and was curious how you would roll with this. This is impossible to really make meaning of. This is...goodness, it's original. The only two precedents I can offer for it are Returnal-era Oneohtrix point never and anything The Focus Group have been apart of, specifically Broadcast and the Focus Group Investigate Witch Cults of the Radio Age, only less jarring and with a greater focus on voice and synth instead of a hodge podge of all kinds of unexpected sounds. It's also is one of my all time favorite albums, so that's a positive comparison. As for this song, I want to say it's psychedelic, but that doesn't seem quite right. Dissociative maybe.
I don't know if I could call this catchy in good faith. But it does lodge itself in my head. Who is there? Who did you not find? Were you expecting to find someone? What are the sips? Are you having a Milo? Some of the sound design in here is sublime. Is it a song? Well, it has amelody, I found one. And personally, I *like* full on experimental music, and think that you -- however inadvertently -- created something memorable that will probably haunt my subconscious. I adore this madcap style.
PS I played this for my wife and she says to me "this sounds like the stuff you were making back when we started dating, it takes me back!".
Glennny - Put Your Hands Up
Is this a rondo? You laid out the structure and it's clear as the listener which section is what. So yes, ABACADABD I'd say is a valid rondo form, by my understanding of it.
The cool synth coming in when you start talking about the DJ is a great touch. As is the organ that comes in when you start begging for the money. Really, the compositional touches that indicate the difference between two two sections in particular is great. The bank robber part -- well, I like how it gets more angular in the rhythm, but if you're a bank robber, you really don't sound very threatening! The robber should be more threatening, but he almost sounds friendly! Your cash grabbing preacher persona works better. The solo is dope, very well executed.
I love the concept you came up with that ties this together, I must say. Basing a song off of a humorous pi chart is a super creative way to come up with a song structure. I can bop my head along to it happily throughout.
Govering Dynamics - Aura
Is it a rondo?
A: manifests as an opening verse and what feels like a bridge, but right when I feel like we're gonna go into a big chorus the energy cuts back and
B: Half time beat, a lot more ambient in its structure, kind of feels like a bridge. Cool bends, and then after not very song we're back in
A: The first verse again in a different tense, followed by the same bridge again but sung higher.
C: Another half time beat, but a distinct chord progression. I like this chord progression, it's pretty spiffy, and then we're in
A: A guitar solo over the chord progression from the previous A sections, followed by another short verse that follows the same general structure as the previous bridge feeling thing.
D: Back to way slower vibes, a new chord progression. I like the bassline here, it grooves nicely. And before long, we're back to
A: Basically the other A's, and the chorus comes back again, sung higher and more passionately. Sort of extends into the outro with the same chord progression as the start of a new A section.
Okay, this meets the challenge undeniably. The production was great, and I love the chilled out alternative vibes that come with this. You play well, you sing well. The rhythmic changeups were pretty nice, but really I have one problem with this as a song -- the A section is WAY too long, and since it contains basically two stanzas that don't vary much, the second of which seems like it wants to be the chorus but never quite reaches a level of chorus energy, the end result is that the song ends up feeling bloated and oddly structured, rather than particularly compelling at any points. The B and C and D sections ought to have more meat on them, but they come and go so quickly before we're back in that super long A again. And I just don't feel satisfied with how often I have to hear that A section given its length.
Hot Pink Halo - Exquisite Norks
Is it a rondo? Thank you for writing out your structure, but fortunately for you it's plain as day when each of your sections starts and ends. Blatantly clear rondo structure. Your A section is catchy enough, and it functions very well as a short reprise and statement of what's going on in your B and C and D. Part of me wishes that it were a little snarkier, a little meaner. Since you're mocking these obnoxious literary dudebros, I feel like more venom should be in your chorus, make it sting a bit more! Anyway, I wish the B section was a bit longer...come to think of it, I feel like the C section would make more sense as the B section, as it even starts with a description of exactly what they're doing! And with the B section just jumping into them writing shitty smut, I feel like it would work better...later. D section feels appropriately timed, and the section about the fun is memorable. I feel like it could lead back into A a bit more, it's just like wham, chorus again!
As for the performance? Your vocal is confident, and this song has tons of personality. The instrumental is generally well composed, catchy, and I enjoyed listening to this one. This is one of your better songs I've heard. The song got me grinning at various points. Something about the madcap structure and eccentric half-spoken vocal delivery reminded me of the sort of thing Kate Bush would write, of whom I recall you admire. Yeah, this song was pretty cool.
Ironbark - Insignificant
Is it a rondo? Undeniably. Chorus is memorable, and I love how you're working out your existential crisis in the midst of a grocery store while buying pesto. B C and D are all undeniably distinct, quirky in their own little way. It's clear that much fun was had arranging the different elements of the song.
Structurally, the final A bridge should have been the outro, the last "wrapped up in yourself..." feel a bit superfluous and I feel like the song would have been better served by ending with that little musical flourish. All in all a minor gripe. This is well performed, memorable, with a nice groove to it that I can bop along to. The "when we are young" comes in a little rushed. But other than that, nah I got no technical notes for you. The tubas are really fun!
Joy Sitler - The Front Bottoms
Is it a rondo? Undeniably so. The A section referring to different bands each time it comes around was a nice touch, it was a good way to shake it up. The vocal delivery in the C section is great, though the transition vocally back to A is a bit awkward/rushed.
The vocal performance in this is dope. You really nail this style perfectly! It has a good build to it, a good use of dynamics, and it's got a catchy melody. I wish I shared your affinity for midwest emo, but I really haven't explored it all that much. I DO have a cassette of Sunny Day Real Estate's How It Feels To Be Something On in my car, and I absolutely adore that album. Pillars has spent some time in my "drum practice playalong playlist". I've never listened to the Front Bottoms though. I guess I should check them out now so I understand what your ex boyfriends like.
Strong entry, I liked it.
The Moon Bureau - Turn Around Again
Is it a rondo? BACADAE is definitely a rondo! And the sections are very clearly defined, you’ve got your “So I turn around again” chorus which keeps recurring, you’ve got your intro (B), you’ve got a second verse that feels more like a bridge back into the (A) again, then you’ve got a third verse (or is it a second verse) in your C section, back to the chorus with some additional backing vocals, and then an outro. Whew, all in the span of 2:28! Not only did you make a rondo, you added an extra section AND didn’t keep me sitting around forever.
Look, I love this jangly 80s/early 90s rock sound, and you executed it really well this time. Personally my only gripe with it has nothing to do with this song and more to do with the other songs you’ve submitted: I like your high voice when you’re jangling! And you sing in your lower voice! Is that anything worth complaining about? I don’t think so. It’s a textbook love song, kind of vague in who its addressing, so I have no idea if it’s based on real life or not…not that it matters. Well performed, executed, you got in, you got out, you jangled, you rondo’d, you get a thumbs up from me. 🙂
Pannacotta Army - This Can’t Be Love
Is it a rondo? The lyric sheet is very easy to follow, so there’s almost no need to really diagram it. I see ABACADA, a classic [and the requested] rondo structure. You’ve got minor variations between the A sections to spice things up, but it’s still undeniably the A section. B section is a nice change from A a section, a good chance in feel. The C section feels a bit short, and as short as it is, it feel really premature to have an instrumental break before it comes back into the A section again. D section is cool, and I like the filter on the drums, and I have the same general complaint about the timing of the bridge back into the A section from D→A as I do from C->A: the bridge just feels like it’s treading water.
I don’t actively dislike this song, but I feel like each of the non-chorus sections could have been done a little bit better. Between B, C, and D, only B feels sure of itself. And all in all this song doesn’t really stick with me. Which is a shame, because I still have your R2 stuck in my head. They can’t all be bangers. It’s competently played and sung, I just don’t find it to be a particularly compelling composition.
Sober - Greater than the Sum
Is it a rondo? A B A C A D A E. And with some crazy wild swings between each section. C really grabs, and I love the vibe of it. You've got all out compositionally with this one. The 'mmm' during the solo right before that brief ritardardo before you race back into the A section again is a great touch. I adore how all over the place this tune is. My brain wants to parse the word "wholly" as "holy", though I'm not entirely sure what that would mean. D section is a mode I don't think I've ever heard you in, and I love what you did. And then into the 3/4 8th note bridge where it feels like I'm listening to like Radiohead for a minute and then bam, back into the A section for one last round and what is this, an E section coming in for a cool outro? Chef's kiss, this is one of the best rondos this round.
Look. This -- and your last song for that matter -- brings out an adventurous side to your sound that I positively adore. You've got your core sound down pat, and you are branching out a bunch. Plus, the lyrics are pretty great, very poetic and evocative. These kind of rapid fire musical shifts are EXCITING and you execute them terrifically. I can't really criticize your mix, cause it sounds good. Vocals are superbly executed as well. Top marks.
Stacking Theory - The Ballad of the Black Hole Brothers
Is this a rondo? Yes it is, and you've helpfully annotated the difference between the different sections. And they're all distinct enough. It's a coherent song, with very poignant lyrics. I'm also gonna point out that when my mom met my stepdad, I saw his old house a couple times and he lived in a round house. Always thought it was the coolest structure and I haven't encountered one since! I'm not really sure what the big black hole is. Are you and your brother super depressed? You say in the description you and your brother are okay, but it sure doesn't sound like it! Or perhaps you're just musing on how much time has passed and totally feeling your age eand realizing there are likely fewer years ahead than there are behind? That's how I would interpret this song. I suspect that's a strange thing to ponder. But nothing lasts forever. Now you've got me pondering my own mortality. Never a terrible thing to ponder, at least I have my affairs in order. Hmm. Am I totally off base? Is the black hole a good thing?
Yes, meets the challenge, poignant, very enjoyable tune, I also like the alliteration in the title!
Tenmere - Voyage Home
Is this a rondo?
A: faster than light/.../of our voyage home. seems like it also includes that fast paced chugging riff leading into the B section?
B: maquis/../unite as one voice
A: the chorus again, followed by the same post-chorus riff leading into the C section.
C: new riff new rhythm
A: return of the chorus, abbreviated and without the familiar post chorus.
D: twinkly synth space synth comes in, with the slow build going into the cool slow atmospheric part, continue to fade out.
I guess this could be diagrammed as something like
A A* B A A* C A D
A totally acceptable rondo structure to me, and a bit more adventurous than most this round by varying the A sections up.
I can't really understand much of the closing monologue during the D section, you may want to bump that up in the mix so I can hear it a little bit better. I feel like the fade out goes on a little bit too long. Lyrically, there seems to be a progression of the story, but since I haven't watched Star Trek since my parents with through a phase with it when I was little, I have absolutely no idea who any of these people are or what you're talking about. Definitely a more compelling lyric for a fan. All I really remember is the guy with the cool eyegear. Data, was that his name? Anyway, the sections are clearly delineated, the composition is well, and I like the atmospheric style of the D section. It didn't really stick with me, for whatever reason, but it's competently done example of its style.
The Dutch Widows - A Rising Tide Doesn’t (Necessarily) Float All Boats [SHADOW]
Is it a rondo? ABACADA, so yes it’s undeniably a rondo. You’ve got your chorus as the A section. Then a bit of a tonality shift for the B section [close the window/…/it’s mine], though the B section feels a bit underdeveloped in terms of the melody…it just kind of floats around. Then we come back to the A. Moving into triple time for the C section, which sounds pretty cool but also a bit underdeveloped. That’s a really short verse! Then we go back into the chorus/A section. D section has yet another distinctive chord progression. Sonically it kind of reminds me of the B section, but it’s musically distinct. I like all the muted harmonics in the background. As with all of the other not-A-sections, it’s too short! So the end structure ends up feeling like AbAcAdA…which is a rondo, but not particularly satisfying?
Lyrically I like a lot of the lines here, and the chorus is pretty strong. Though I usually think of “a rising tide lifts all boats” as a phrase associated with economics – greater business/etc activity is good for everybody – it’s interesting seeing it used in this context. I’m not 100% what some of the analogies are meant to be, but that’s okay because it’s song lyrics. Instrumental sounds good, well produced. I don’t have a heck of a lot else to say, good tune.
Falcon Artist - I No You No [shadow]
Is this a rondo?
Chorus -> Verse 1 -> Chorus -> Verse 2 -> Chorus -> Verse 3 -> Chorus...abruptly terminated. Yep, it's a rondo! Verse 2 and Verse 3 were alike in that they both featured a shift to more major chords instead of the minor feel that prevailed throughout so much of the song, but the rhythm was different enough that the challenge was met.
A little more rhythmic contrast throughout the sections would keep things more interesting. It's a lot of the same kind of strumming with very little dynamic expression to it. Full bore strumming! The third line of verses 2 and 3 both feel like you weren't sure what to do with them melodically. Greater use of dynamics would make your compositions shine way more than they do.
Lyrically this is sweet, a nice sentimental love story.
Menage a Tune - A Good Life [SHADOW]
Is it a rondo? Seems to have an ABACA structure instead of the requested three verses. Unless that opening twilight zone (is that what it was?) sample counts as a distinct section and it's BACADA. But it's so short. I don't think this is actually a rondo. But it's also a shadow entry, so I guess that's okay that it doesn't meet the challenge?
What is this song about? Probably a TV show of some sort. The periodic snippets suggest something like that. I can't quite parse it. It's fun, pleasant enough. You have a pleasant voice. Who is Anthony?
See-Man-Ski - Rundown Town [SHADOW]
Is it a rondo? A B A C A D A, with D being pretty short. I like the chorus, it has a great rhythm to it. Very catchy. I'm not super sold on the C section, something about it feels kind of awkward rhythmically and harmonically. But A is great, and I really like the faint backing echo in the chorus along with that bassline. It sounds pretty good to me. Also can't really make out what the chords are doing well during the D section, it's certainly pounding, but it feels a little sloppily constructed. But yeah, that A section is pretty terrific. I'd love to hear the C and D sections developed a little more...they sound kind of unsure of themselves compositionally.
Love that chorus though, terrific chorus!
Thanks for the review. It is based on the Twilight Zone show, "It's a Good Life", which can be seen on Youtube; it is considered one of the best of the series.
ReplyDeleteThe Rondo is A-B-A-C-A pattern. In keeping with the theme of the show it is supposed to be a simple pattern like a childs song. I guess I missed where we were supposed to have a D section to it.