Warning: Please don’t listen to the ST RD4 album while operating a motor vehicle or any other large machinery.
It’s been a really long time since I’ve tried to write and record a song by myself in a day, so I took the only free afternoon I had last week to submit a shadow. Boy, that was humbling! I had that classic experience where I wrote, recorded, and mixed everything in the span of several hours, so by the end of the process, none of the sounds made sense anymore.
I don’t hate the song I wrote, but when the round four album was released, I listened to the version I turned in and there’s an annoying, amateurish guitar that I left in when I was trying to create textural layers. It sticks out in a BIG way, especially in mono, which for me completely ruins the whole “go to sleep” vibe. Awesome. That’s awesome.
Maybe someday I’ll re-record or rearrange, but ultimately I’m still glad I made something just to make it because the joy has always been in the process. The only reason I bring any of this up is because I really enjoyed judging this competition and I want to thank all of the artists for being vulnerable and putting a bunch of work into these brilliant little creations, only to have some stranger who is *alright* at songcraft tell them that they mixed a cymbal too loud or whatever. I have no idea who will win, but y’all rock. Micah rocks. ST4ever and thanks for having me.
The Panacotta Army - Halloween Lullaby
I mean, this sounds gorgeous. Consistently, PA has delivered quality performances, both instrumentally and vocally. This one is a little spooky, but it works. The way it’s performed makes me question whether or not there actually are monsters lurking around this hypothetical child’s bedroom. It tells the listener to not be afraid, but when PA says “there are no vampires out there”, the chord structure and delivery make it seem like the vocalist doesn’t necessarily believe that’s true. That said, given the fantastical silliness of the monsters mentioned, I think it really works to the benefit of the song!
Overall, it’s a little novel, which I tend to think is PA’s achilles heel in this competition, but it set up the fewest barriers for falling asleep. For me, that made it the most effective lullaby from the contestants this round.
Celestial Drift - In a Quiet Room
The concept of this song is really beautiful. The idea of a grown up child singing to a parent is a heart-wrenching, nostalgic subversion of normal lullaby expectations. There’s a melancholic gratefulness to both the point of view and the vocal performance. This is by far my favorite lyrical concept from the contestants this round.
Production-wise, I’m a little less enthused. I like the “rainbow connection” direction of it all, but I’m not fully sold on the acoustic tone and would have preferred a much softer, more intimate, live-mic recording. As it stands, the acoustic has a rubbery
“quarter-inch-plugged-directly-into-the-interface” sound that becomes even more pronounced with the pick that’s being used. I think those choices are too aggressive for this song to effectively lull me into a warm sleep-state, and I’d love to hear a pillowy-soft re-recording of the track.
The Alleviators - The First Watch
Lyrically, there’s so many things about this song that I really enjoy. The idea of creating a safe, comfortable environment for the listener to sleep because somebody is taking the “first watch” is really nice. I also think there’s some top-notch vocal performances, as the Alleviators are hitting their stride when it comes to the way their voices combine. I don’t think it bears too much repetition, but there’s been a lot of growth from Rd1 to the finals and that feels like the purpose of this competition, so great work!
That said, as far as a lullaby goes, this might be the toughest to fall asleep to for a couple of reasons. First of all, it doesn’t really have a sleepy tone. There are drums, a driving bass line, an acoustic guitar that sounds out of tune around the 1:32 second mark and a violin that is constantly falling in and out of tune as well. Overall, the production’s sour moments and driving rhythm are more likely to wake the listener up instead of creating a soft palate for them to fall into.
Cavedwellers - The Only Way Out
I know Panacotta Army wrote a holiday-themed lullaby and I know this song isn’t that, but it does kind of sound like that, right? There’s something very “Hallmark-in-December” about the production. I hope that doesn’t sound like a dig, because it’s not at all. This song uses a really gorgeous soundscape (e-bow!) with an interesting melody, but I could also hear it as the score for a movie about discovering the true meaning of Christmas. The pianos, xylos, and lovely “ooos” that start the second verse bring me to a wintertime holiday headspace, even amongst the first verse’s wiggly island guitar.
Similar to the Alleviators, I think this track would be tough for me to fall asleep to, which might even be the (sick) intention? Sonically, the environment is really lovely, but the lyrics remind me that I have a hard day tomorrow and that gives me anxiety, which in turn keeps me up. This happens over and over. The song continually tells me to fall asleep by putting pressure on what will happen if I don’t fall asleep. “There’s a lot to be done by the light of the sun” and you don’t want to be tired tomorrow, right? Well then, you better fall asleep!
I really enjoy listening to this song as a song, but if I tried to use it as a lullaby, the lyrics would have me tossing and turning.
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