Here are your rankings from ChasRock:
Read on for Chas's reviews!
First of all, shout out to Matt Schubbe for the graphic design for the album covers, which are consistently excellent. My wife, who worked in the art department at the Onion for years, entered the room while I was listening and immediately complimented the artwork, so I wanted to pass that along! In fact, so much work goes into this competition to make it a great experience for the artists, and I really appreciate that! It must be why we all return. Everyone, bow their heads.
Okay, annnnd break.
This round was awesome. I had a great time listening and a terrible time judging. Even my pick for last place is a song that I think is pretty good. This group really stepped their game up and everybody should be proud, but the nature of the game is: I judge. Here we go!
SpinTown & Company - Ancient Blunders
Okay, I know this song is about Minecraft. I’m seeing the ST&Co pattern, but I like that I’d have no idea it was about Minecraft from listening or reading the lyrics. It just sounds like a legendary tale about Vikings or Huns or some other group of nomadic warriors. I believe the “Wither” is the only direct reference to something that is Minecraft-exclusive, but even that sounds like a poetic way of saying “plague” or “famine” or some other tragedy that forced migration. If I have any gripe about the lyrics, it’s that there are moments where they’re a tad simple and don’t feel exactly right. Moments like “this land is rich with death and strife”. I immediately know the next lyric is going to be “life”. I like the juxtaposition of using a term like “rich” to describe something negative, but the only time I’ve heard somebody use the word “strife” was to rhyme it with “life” or “wife” and given the context, it wasn’t hard to predict which one it would be here. I love the line “we invaded the invaders” but it’s followed by rhyming “away” with “way” which again, lands tepidly instead of epically.
The production sounds great as always. It’s very Enter Sandman, but it’s rich and full with some fun instrumental surprises. That guitar solo is a blast, great tapping! In general, I was a little more emotionally moved by other productions this round, but I think this is a solid contribution and I’m glad ST&CO was reinstated!
Stacking Theory - Cluck Lucky
Some more lush layers from Stacking Theory and once again, I loved them! I also enjoy the use of the challenge: the songwriter has much more knowledge about the world than a chicken who wakes up, survives, and goes to bed. Great! That works for me and I think at its core, it’s more complicated and less silly than the title, multiple puns, or chorus implies. I love how calm and melancholy it is. It sounds really lonely, like the chicken is trying to be grateful, but can’t quite convince itself.
On my first listen, when I was just absorbing the songs without looking at the titles at all, it was rewarding to slowly realize that this song is about a literal chicken. I think if you told me what it was about before I listened, I wouldn’t have thought it would work, but ironically, there’s something very human about the crisis this chicken is facing and I’m here for it!
The Panacotta Army - Cool Dad
This is easily my favorite TPA track in this competition so far. I really like the sound, the production is lovely, and the vocal performance is right in the pocket. Overall, I found it really pleasant to listen to.
I do like the idea of the song being from the perspective of a kid who doesn’t understand who his Dad really is, but my one big gripe is that the execution leaves a lot on the table. All of the things that make the listener understand the dad is a “criminal” (which I learned from the song bio which is for cheaters) are very superficial. Tattoos, piercings, chains, and saying “fuck” a lot might imply to a certain generation that a character is unsavory, but by those descriptions, this kid’s dad could just be a SpinTuner. I’d rather hear the child misinterpret the father’s actions as opposed to just assuming who he is from repeated descriptions of his appearance. One of the most effective moments in the song is when the father says he’d have to kill his son if he revealed what line of work he’s in, but that’s one of the only non-physical descriptions that tells the listener who the child’s dad actually is.
My Broken Demo Tape - Superman 3
Lyrically, this track is S-tier. The way the narrator speaks not only informs the character, it also paints a clear picture of a rich, complicated world. I wish the word “even” wasn’t used twice in the same sentence, but I laughed out loud the first time I heard “I even offered to pray for the queers even though they are sinners”. It’s a perfect way of describing that small-town “I’m-not-a-bigot, I-just-think-they’re-morally-incorrect” mentality. I could go into detail about every line of this song and how effective it is at creating both imagery and emotion, but I’m just going to leave it and say that the writing here is top notch and I love it.
The production has mostly good things happening. The performances are compelling and the vocal is excellent. Not unlike the song’s narrator, it doesn’t try too hard, but it never gets boring and I felt engaged the entire time. My one complaint, and I will say that it’s kind of a big one and has really been affecting my enjoyment, is that the cello (or stand up bass? Whatever that is.) is not mixed very well and the low end sounds super muddy as a result. There’s some stuff in the 100-250 range that’s super woofy, borderline painful, and needs to be cut out or significantly turned down. That said, if MBDT fixes the mix, I’ll continue listening to this song long after this competition is over.
The Moon Bureau - Copinghaven
I love the instrumental on this song. It has the sound that I’ve started expecting from TMB, but the direction feels different than the previous two songs and I really dig the solo section that starts around 1:12. I will say that the vocals could have used a few more takes as it’s not the most compelling or accurate vox I’ve heard from this artist so far and it makes the instrumental do the majority of the heavy lifting.
Lyrically, I’m pleased that TMB is not referencing other pieces of media, but I think it would have been more refreshing to hear a song that isn’t a love story about a fantasy girl, as TMB has tread that ground in this competition already. It doesn’t stop me from loving a lyric like “I almost had to applaud, that midnight on the promenade”, but I think I’m ready for some new dimensions to TMB’s point of view.
With Joe - Abigail
Melodically, I think this verse/chorus combo is one of the strongest from WJ so far. The trap of a musical theater style is that sometimes the melody and lyrics are sacrificed and instead we get a structure that is exclusively designed for a bunch of vocal runs. That isn’t the case here. This track does a great job of showing off WJ’s impressive vocals while still feeling like a song with discernible sections that I really enjoyed returning to.
On the surface, the lyrics are pretty straight forward but I think the emotion in the vocal sells the premise. This narrator has convinced themself that this is a perfect relationship with a bright future despite age gaps, fights they don’t take seriously, and Abigail’s (probably correct) friends trying to talk her out of it. It makes me believe that it’s true love until I go back and read the lyrics and notice all of the red flags. If this track had the usual production bells and whistles that WJ is capable of instead of just a piano and four-on-the-floor kick, I may have ranked it even higher, but as it stands, I still really enjoyed it!
glenny - Spartacus
I really like this track. First off, the production is top-notch. It’s a little Durand Durand, a little Beatles, and a whole lot of fun. I’ve now learned that it’s actually not glenny who is singing? Or at least one part of the song isn’t glenny? Or something? I mean, one takeaway from ST23 is that I have to accept that I will never know who glenny is. I think that’s beautiful.
This song is lyrically dense and while a lot of it goes over my head, I don’t really care. It uses an interesting word palette. I mean, I don’t understand what a “Barometric jest” is (maybe like a long-winded joke?), but I sure do like the sound of it. Bourbon on bayou? Is that referencing Bourbon street in New Orleans or is it just a set of words that sound nice together? Who knows, but I’ve been singing “Bourbon on Bayouuuuuu” in my head for the last few days so there must be something there.
Also, those bridge lyrics are so damn satisfying. This is just a really good track.
cardamom seed - there’s a trojan horse in my house and while I didn’t invite him in, I think he might stay
I love the concept that is explored here. The lyrics are great and the point of view is both genuinely funny and frustratingly sad. I’m trying not to laugh while also feeling sorry for the narrator as I listen to them make every obvious misstep toward getting scammed. It’s just really effective lyricism.
As a fan of this artist, I will say that production-wise, it’s not my favorite from them so far. I’m not saying that it’s bad at all, because I enjoy a lot of it. Specifically, the chorus “This Trojan Horse now lives in my house” really sticks for me. There isn’t a ton of organic, dynamic instrumentation and while that isn’t always necessary, I really noticed it here. I’m not sure if the trumpet is real or not, but against this backdrop, it sounds digital and it mimics the chorus instead of harmonizing with it. I also think there are a few moments where some additional vocal takes would have benefitted the track overall. The sections around “or my login”, “nothings appearing”, and “a little jig to see the long days out” are not as melodically confident as the rest of the song. I like the ideas, I’m just not sure the performance always nailed it. That said, the mix is nice and I’m really grateful for the reduced amount of harsh sibilance.
In the end, I really did enjoy this song, but in a strong round with a lot of great entries, I think it lands somewhere in the middle.
Cavedwellers - In Prypiat
I know my genre-bias is going to show here, but this song rules. It’s somehow dark, heavy, and boppy. The joyfulness of the vocal performance reminds me of those old 50’s promos for cigarettes and the juxtaposition of the melodies in the verse/chorus against the twisted, nasty instrumental sections is awesome. They transition so well into one another and are super effective when it comes to telling this terrifying story.
Great production. Great performances. Great lyrics. Great mix. Oh, and a great bassist. Nobody ever compliments the bassist especially in a song like this where they’re chugging along on one note while the guitarist (excellent) sends you to space, but I’m brave and different, so I want to say that the bassist is doing the work and doing it really well. They have a super nice tone and a groovy pocket that comes alive on the chorus. I love this song and it would have gotten the top spot from me if it wasn’t for one other track…
Siebass - Not Good Enough
I know this song got the bottom spot from me, but there are some things about it that I really enjoyed. The melody evolves nicely and I think Siebass performs it with a lot of investment and passion. There’s some great production in the background and I love the way the track grows and becomes more ferocious as it moves forward.
There are also some moments that really wear on me. The singular, hyper-present piano note that is foundational to the point of view of the song is more distracting than it is effective. I also am a little weary of songs that seek validation from the listener about their right to exist. “Do you like this? Do you like me? Am I good? Is this good?” feels like it takes energy to listen to and while I think everybody in this competition understands that point of view, it’s very anxious and needy without nailing the self-awareness. I agree that you don’t need to mine trauma in order to write a great song, but like a lot of the top tracks from ST23 (including my winner this round), the best songs, and even art in general, come from a place of vulnerability, clarity, and most importantly, necessity. They aren’t mining their trauma; they’re expressing and processing an emotional point of view. To me, that’s an elevated form of communication that exceeds the limitations of language, so naturally I’m drawn to songs that felt necessary for the artist to make. Maybe to Siebass, that’s what is happening here and this isn’t a terrible track by any stretch of the imagination, but if the intention was to win my sympathy, it was not successful.
The Alleviators - Only Human
By far my favorite track from the Alleviators so far! Easily the most confident melody that I’ve heard them perform and the lyrics are vastly improved from the first round. This is a complicated, nuanced take on the Adam and Eve story. The waltzy guitars and worship melody combine to make it sound like a church track, but it’s so interesting to hear how the narrator uses them to question the hypothetical creator in a totally legitimate way. Stuff like, “If I’m made in your image, Shouldn’t you know that I need to know?” is such an effective use of words. I also love how the production subtly grows and fills up without becoming distracting.
If I had one complaint, it would be that the last verse when it returns to guitar and vox could stand to be recorded again. It sounds like it was probably one of the last things finished and it’s a little bit more tired, removed, and less accurate than the rest of the track. Overall though, I really enjoyed this one.
Celestial Drift - It’ll Be Okay
This song truly left me wrecked every time I listened to it. I mentioned in my Siebass review that nobody needs to mine their trauma for a song, but this one felt totally necessary for the artist to make. When it started, I thought it sounded kind of despondent and detached, similar to the way a Slint song makes me feel, and then it evolves into this incredible, harrowing journey.
Every performance in this song is awesome. The early “I’ll be okays” are ominous while acting as a metaphorical calm before the storm. The doppler FX layered with heavy guitar leading into an emotionally-charged vocal performance is such a strong transition from the front half of the song to the back half and by the end, the artist has lost all ego and sounds like they’re panicked and crying. The lyrics use really simple language, but they fall inside such a specific, unnerving pocket. The use of the live recording is terrifying and sad and my heart felt heavy listening to it. This was a beautiful way to speak on a topic that I know is personal and as the artist continues to witness the aftermath of the recent hurricanes, I genuinely hope both they and their loved ones are okay!
Sober - Truest Believer
This is a pretty good song, but as a big Sober fan, it didn’t quite hit the highs I felt in the previous two rounds. Despite its excellent placement as I absolutely needed some levity to close out this playlist, a waltz is always going to be tricky and this one felt a little tired by the end of the track.
The lyrics and POV are great, but it’s not the most natural vocal performance and I definitely felt like I could hear Sober reading the lyrics more than performing them. I understand the intention is that it’s supposed to sound like it’s coming from the pulpit of a small, wooden church way out in the forest somewhere, but I feel like it’s missing the usual commitment to character that I’ve come to expect from this artist. I hear Sober talking self-righteously about fire and brimstone, but having been in rooms with faith-leaders like this, I’m not sure I feel it.
That being said, the lyrics are really great. I love the line “Let the Lord decide winners and losers, what else are we righteous to do?”. The way that it makes a statement that immediately negates itself is fun and self-aware.
Per usual, the production is nice and the instrumental performances are excellent, but the constant 1-2-3 starts to feel a little bit bland by the end of the track. Again, this isn’t bad, but against the others this round, I just didn’t find myself connecting with it as much.
Thanks for the review. As mentioned in the bio, the song is about Minecraft lore. I'll bullet point the part of the timeline the song was about. Maybe I should have done that in my bio, but I figured if the judges weren't familiar with Minecraft, it still probably wouldn't help me. lol
ReplyDelete- A race known as the ancient builders who lived in the overworld wanted to gain the power to create life.
- So they invaded the nether to gain the needed resources (the nether had previously failed to invade the overworld).
- Things didn't go as planned but they did end up creating a new life with what they learned there. That new life was the Wither.
- To escape the evil Wither they hid underground in newly constructed cities. Until the Wither found them.
- They tried to activate a portal to escape, and another new life form came out of it. The Warden.
- The Wither & the Warden had an epic battle, and the Warden won.
- The Warden was also not a friendly being, and would attack anyone that made a sound (they're mostly blind).
- So they ran & built a heavily fortified underground stronghold to protect themselves from the Warden.
- Eventually they made a new portal, and had just left the overworld to arrive at the End.
- This is where the song ends, with them hopeful that they'll finally be safe.
- However, like all their past attempts to create life & open portals, that would also not go well for them.