Here are your rankings from SpinTunes 25 Champion Vehicles of Beware (aka Phil):
Read on for Phil's reviews!
**Preamble to the preamble**
The news of Joy's death has come as a terrible shock to everyone. I'm really struggling to contextualise it all, with seemingly no warning or sign at all. This year has already had some very major ups and downs for me personally, but I hoped that maybe the worst was done. I had hoped that one day I could have come to a gig of hers. I hoped a lot of things that now can never be.
I met Joy through this competition, and hers was instantly a clear and distinct voice and style. We are all the richer for having heard that voice and all the poorer for now having lost it. What she loved was music in general and **this competition** specifically. This was clear from every interaction and message with her.
I'm thinking a lot these days about what we have. I think in some way we only have the time we spend and I'm still honoured to be a part of a community of songwriters who choose to spend their time on creating music. These comments (written before I heard the news) are my contribution to the collective time we choose to spend on this form of expression. It's my hope that we use this online space to honour the thing that brings us all....Joy.
The news of Joy's death has come as a terrible shock to everyone. I'm really struggling to contextualise it all, with seemingly no warning or sign at all. This year has already had some very major ups and downs for me personally, but I hoped that maybe the worst was done. I had hoped that one day I could have come to a gig of hers. I hoped a lot of things that now can never be.
I met Joy through this competition, and hers was instantly a clear and distinct voice and style. We are all the richer for having heard that voice and all the poorer for now having lost it. What she loved was music in general and **this competition** specifically. This was clear from every interaction and message with her.
I'm thinking a lot these days about what we have. I think in some way we only have the time we spend and I'm still honoured to be a part of a community of songwriters who choose to spend their time on creating music. These comments (written before I heard the news) are my contribution to the collective time we choose to spend on this form of expression. It's my hope that we use this online space to honour the thing that brings us all....Joy.
_____
**Preamble**
Another really great collection of songs, the quality was really high overall and separating them was no easy task. You're all getting some great songs out, and in record time too.
I enjoyed writing down some of my thoughts 'up top' last time so I think I'll do it again.
After many years of asking myself what I like in songs, I arrived at 'harmonic complexity'. Sure, I like other stuff about songs but I'm just a real sucker for some killer chord changes that push the song into new territory. So this round definitely had **lots** of great stuff for me. The theme clearly made contestants think about interesting harmonic choices, so we got some really great moments that weren't even specifically the borrowed harmony, but may have been motivated by them. These include:
- The last chord in the bridge of Demolisher
- The delivery on the line 'That'll have me considerrrrrr // Crossing the Red Riverrrrrr'
- The herta drum pattern in Last of Your Name
- The rising melody in What I Never Had on the lyrics 'Passage and harbor // Lighthouse and martyr'
What's fascinating is how using this borrowed chord move (clickbait version: 'just try this one simple trick!') changes the melody and structure of the songs. They often had different forms to accommodate the extra chords that were being squeezed in. So harmonic complexity leads to structural changes. Melodies also were pushed into new territory, with the lines in the borrowed key adapting to their new temporary environment - so harmonic changes lead to melodic changes too - neat!
Something I couldn't have predicted is two separate songs having explicit Jean-Paul Sartre references. Sacre bleu!
# 1 David Taro - Something About Her
There are a lot of songs that start with the word 'something', so you're instantly in good company. The chord changes are really effective and roll along with voice leading in the left hand of the piano part. You make great use of the borrowed harmony to push the melody around. The strings are supportive without getting in the way and you definitely earn meta points for the lyric 'chord not in the tonic key'.
I think this would be a great song to cover, with the form being so open but all those lyrics hooks making it recognisable, even in another style/feel.
# 2 Sober - I Didn’t Leave Texas
Great to hear a 6-8 rhythmic pattern used so well, it's a familiar feel so the listener can focus on the lyrics. The whole song really sets up the big sing-a-long choruses, complete with vocal harmonies so everyone can get on board. You're using old-school techniques to convey a fresh viewpoint, this approach felt genuine and honest - which is what country music is supposed to be. (Disclaimer: I am not an American and therefore my views on country music should be treated with intense skepticism.)
Extra points for skillfully setting up and then avoiding an f-bomb. Extra extra points for the tasty organ part, complete with tasteful use of the rotary speaker's speed control.
# 3 The Pannacotta Army - Jean-Paul
So frenchy, so nihilistic - tres bien! The melodica solo is cute as a button (accordion) and the waltz feel really works to set the mood. The slant rhymes are really playful here too with (Jean Paul // Miserab-all // Intellectu-all).
The second verse reads more like a first verse, and while the rhyme scheme is strong I would have liked a sharper set of points about his views rather than another introduction to who he is. It's cute and everything but I feel like it's a bit of a missed opportunity. Ahh well, c'est la vie.
One small lyric edit suggestion for smoothness: cut one syllable somewhere to smooth out the rhythm on 'An ignorance inviting peril' which lands a half-beat too late.il'.
# 5 This Big Old Endless Sky - Sunshine / Abyss
That guitar is filllthyyyyy and I love it. It's a thrumming engine of a groove, you've kept the rhythms dense and the lyrics sparse to great effect.
I heard a rule of thumb recently about dropping f-bombs in songs (shout out to the 'Two Jerks One Vote' podcast), which goes that a song should either say 'fuck' one time or a hundred. Your song allllllmost obeys the one fuck rule, but it's a line-ball so I'll say you got away with it. Your emphasis on the word 'neurosEEs' slightly irked me but it's done with such attitude that I think you got away with that too.
Absolutely loved the BVs, would have liked a second part on those to really get the crowd involved.
Nice of you to also reference Jean Paul Sartre ('Hell is every other person'). He must be sponsoring this round.
# 6 Flintsteel - Last of Your Name
Well done on the piano intro fake-out, it makes the moment the guitar enters really come to life. The whole production is top-notch as always, I'm digging the drum patterns in the second half of the chorus (can I use the term *herta-esque*?) which adds a great contrast to the first half.
The chorus lyrics are triumphant, I would have even liked the title coming back another time within the same chorus to make it truly anthemic.
# 7 gammammannn - Collided
Cool soundscapes and themes of love and futurism. I heard some shades of Janelle Monae's 'robot era' in the vocal effects - they're really effective.
I definitely dig the ambitious nature of this what you're assembling here, even though I think not every single moment 'lands' with respect to timing/tuning.
There are some spicy chord changes here, the video notes mention some advanced tuning systems at play, as well as the secondary dominant stack - you've rediscovered the circle of 5ths, congrats!
# 8 Hot Pink Halo - Borrowed Time
Melotron flute will always catch my ear, it's a great tone to include to evoke 60s pop ballads and a dreamy swaying time feel! Once of my favourite things is that you've left space after important lyrics, which gives the listener a chance to breathe instead of just pushing onto the next lyric. It's a really great move to balance the lyrical and musical content of the song.
The imagery evoked in the lyrics is also gorgeous. Ink black soil, stained glass love, and iron wine - very sensory. From reading the song notes, you've drawn inspiration from the book (another one to go on the reading list), however I think the lyrics work just fine *without* the listener knowing this.
There were a few moments where rhythms were slightly off between instruments, which was quite exposed due to the open arrangement. A little editing here and there would have just glued these together.
# 9 Bob Voyg - The Navigator
Dreamy and gritty at the same time, it's a strong sonic signature you've developed for yourself. The acoustic bass adds a nice timbre where there's more space (no, not outer space) and new sonic textures develop when there's more SPACE (yes, outer space).
As a general note I think the vocals could have had more dynamics, the arrangement grew and shrank and I would have liked the quieter moments to come down in vocal intensity, and the louder moments to really push your voice more.
# 10 Good Guy Sôjàbé - Whatever, I’m Not Precious
My wife mentioned that she was reminded of Muse in those verse sections, with those low pitched vocals - I'm inclined to agree!
You've crafted a great lyric for the chorus, those octave vocals make we want to join in, this is really rewarding on repeated listens. Along with this there's a compelling harmonic movement to accompany the pulsing phone tone that (I think) goes through the whole song - a very clever move.
A minor housekeeping thing is that I think that the title of the song should be the central idea and the chorus. So for this I'd consider renaming it Collapsing Heart (which is a great lyric and title).
# 11 SEE/MAN/SKI - Melton Mowbray
There's a kind of whimsical lyrical approach here that evokes the band Jethro Tull - I dig it! The speed changes are fun and there's a playful nature to the lyrics that's fairly infectious. There's a fun reggae-ish bounce to those verse sections, especially with 'oh melly mo' counter parts.
The empty bar is a great punctuation to the songs hook, I would have liked to see a variation of it just once, as bit of an 'easter egg' - I'm thinking a piano slide could work well? I also think the song could benefit from some more orchestration in the later sections to ramp up the excitement. With that reggae flavour, maybe some horns would give it a festive feeling?
# 12 glennny - Mottainai (What a Waste!)
There were two intros here, I think the first of them wasn't strictly needed and could be spun off into another song. Loving the hard-panned guitar-mony, you've got some nice tones out of those instruments & amps. I got some nostalgic 1960's classic rock vibes, especially with those soft vocal harmonies.
I think that lyrically, the verses are much stronger than the choruses, but melodically it's kind of the reverse. As I've talked about in a previous review, when the title of the song doesn't appear in the lyrics, it's often a sign that it needs a bit more focus. Listening through to the chorus, I would have thought the title is 'the worst that you could do', and so all the lyrics should aim towards that idea or concept.
The end of the song was strong, I'd just suggest tidying that cymbal ring to neaten up those rough edges and keep it a 'clean dismount'.
# 13 Huge Shark - Wanting a Letter
Some good interplay between the music and singing ("you didn't notice"). Moving lyrics and you've set your voice in a nice range.
This lyric evokes Joni Mitchell to me, the way it just flows out so naturally:
What's fascinating is how using this borrowed chord move (clickbait version: 'just try this one simple trick!') changes the melody and structure of the songs. They often had different forms to accommodate the extra chords that were being squeezed in. So harmonic complexity leads to structural changes. Melodies also were pushed into new territory, with the lines in the borrowed key adapting to their new temporary environment - so harmonic changes lead to melodic changes too - neat!
Something I couldn't have predicted is two separate songs having explicit Jean-Paul Sartre references. Sacre bleu!
# 1 David Taro - Something About Her
There are a lot of songs that start with the word 'something', so you're instantly in good company. The chord changes are really effective and roll along with voice leading in the left hand of the piano part. You make great use of the borrowed harmony to push the melody around. The strings are supportive without getting in the way and you definitely earn meta points for the lyric 'chord not in the tonic key'.
I think this would be a great song to cover, with the form being so open but all those lyrics hooks making it recognisable, even in another style/feel.
# 2 Sober - I Didn’t Leave Texas
Great to hear a 6-8 rhythmic pattern used so well, it's a familiar feel so the listener can focus on the lyrics. The whole song really sets up the big sing-a-long choruses, complete with vocal harmonies so everyone can get on board. You're using old-school techniques to convey a fresh viewpoint, this approach felt genuine and honest - which is what country music is supposed to be. (Disclaimer: I am not an American and therefore my views on country music should be treated with intense skepticism.)
Extra points for skillfully setting up and then avoiding an f-bomb. Extra extra points for the tasty organ part, complete with tasteful use of the rotary speaker's speed control.
# 3 The Pannacotta Army - Jean-Paul
So frenchy, so nihilistic - tres bien! The melodica solo is cute as a button (accordion) and the waltz feel really works to set the mood. The slant rhymes are really playful here too with (Jean Paul // Miserab-all // Intellectu-all).
The second verse reads more like a first verse, and while the rhyme scheme is strong I would have liked a sharper set of points about his views rather than another introduction to who he is. It's cute and everything but I feel like it's a bit of a missed opportunity. Ahh well, c'est la vie.
# 4 Governing Dynamics - Demolisher
Alt-rock grunge in the best way! I found myself hooking into this one immediately, there's a way that the lyrics connect to the guitar rhythm that just connects. The borrowed chord works really well to lift that bridge section, and I'm really enjoying the last chord in that section (under the lyric *I always planned it that way*) - totally unexpected but perfectly chosen.
# 5 This Big Old Endless Sky - Sunshine / Abyss
That guitar is filllthyyyyy and I love it. It's a thrumming engine of a groove, you've kept the rhythms dense and the lyrics sparse to great effect.
I heard a rule of thumb recently about dropping f-bombs in songs (shout out to the 'Two Jerks One Vote' podcast), which goes that a song should either say 'fuck' one time or a hundred. Your song allllllmost obeys the one fuck rule, but it's a line-ball so I'll say you got away with it. Your emphasis on the word 'neurosEEs' slightly irked me but it's done with such attitude that I think you got away with that too.
Absolutely loved the BVs, would have liked a second part on those to really get the crowd involved.
Nice of you to also reference Jean Paul Sartre ('Hell is every other person'). He must be sponsoring this round.
# 6 Flintsteel - Last of Your Name
Well done on the piano intro fake-out, it makes the moment the guitar enters really come to life. The whole production is top-notch as always, I'm digging the drum patterns in the second half of the chorus (can I use the term *herta-esque*?) which adds a great contrast to the first half.
The chorus lyrics are triumphant, I would have even liked the title coming back another time within the same chorus to make it truly anthemic.
# 7 gammammannn - Collided
Cool soundscapes and themes of love and futurism. I heard some shades of Janelle Monae's 'robot era' in the vocal effects - they're really effective.
I definitely dig the ambitious nature of this what you're assembling here, even though I think not every single moment 'lands' with respect to timing/tuning.
There are some spicy chord changes here, the video notes mention some advanced tuning systems at play, as well as the secondary dominant stack - you've rediscovered the circle of 5ths, congrats!
# 8 Hot Pink Halo - Borrowed Time
Melotron flute will always catch my ear, it's a great tone to include to evoke 60s pop ballads and a dreamy swaying time feel! Once of my favourite things is that you've left space after important lyrics, which gives the listener a chance to breathe instead of just pushing onto the next lyric. It's a really great move to balance the lyrical and musical content of the song.
The imagery evoked in the lyrics is also gorgeous. Ink black soil, stained glass love, and iron wine - very sensory. From reading the song notes, you've drawn inspiration from the book (another one to go on the reading list), however I think the lyrics work just fine *without* the listener knowing this.
There were a few moments where rhythms were slightly off between instruments, which was quite exposed due to the open arrangement. A little editing here and there would have just glued these together.
# 9 Bob Voyg - The Navigator
Dreamy and gritty at the same time, it's a strong sonic signature you've developed for yourself. The acoustic bass adds a nice timbre where there's more space (no, not outer space) and new sonic textures develop when there's more SPACE (yes, outer space).
As a general note I think the vocals could have had more dynamics, the arrangement grew and shrank and I would have liked the quieter moments to come down in vocal intensity, and the louder moments to really push your voice more.
# 10 Good Guy Sôjàbé - Whatever, I’m Not Precious
My wife mentioned that she was reminded of Muse in those verse sections, with those low pitched vocals - I'm inclined to agree!
You've crafted a great lyric for the chorus, those octave vocals make we want to join in, this is really rewarding on repeated listens. Along with this there's a compelling harmonic movement to accompany the pulsing phone tone that (I think) goes through the whole song - a very clever move.
A minor housekeeping thing is that I think that the title of the song should be the central idea and the chorus. So for this I'd consider renaming it Collapsing Heart (which is a great lyric and title).
# 11 SEE/MAN/SKI - Melton Mowbray
There's a kind of whimsical lyrical approach here that evokes the band Jethro Tull - I dig it! The speed changes are fun and there's a playful nature to the lyrics that's fairly infectious. There's a fun reggae-ish bounce to those verse sections, especially with 'oh melly mo' counter parts.
The empty bar is a great punctuation to the songs hook, I would have liked to see a variation of it just once, as bit of an 'easter egg' - I'm thinking a piano slide could work well? I also think the song could benefit from some more orchestration in the later sections to ramp up the excitement. With that reggae flavour, maybe some horns would give it a festive feeling?
# 12 glennny - Mottainai (What a Waste!)
There were two intros here, I think the first of them wasn't strictly needed and could be spun off into another song. Loving the hard-panned guitar-mony, you've got some nice tones out of those instruments & amps. I got some nostalgic 1960's classic rock vibes, especially with those soft vocal harmonies.
I think that lyrically, the verses are much stronger than the choruses, but melodically it's kind of the reverse. As I've talked about in a previous review, when the title of the song doesn't appear in the lyrics, it's often a sign that it needs a bit more focus. Listening through to the chorus, I would have thought the title is 'the worst that you could do', and so all the lyrics should aim towards that idea or concept.
The end of the song was strong, I'd just suggest tidying that cymbal ring to neaten up those rough edges and keep it a 'clean dismount'.
# 13 Huge Shark - Wanting a Letter
Some good interplay between the music and singing ("you didn't notice"). Moving lyrics and you've set your voice in a nice range.
This lyric evokes Joni Mitchell to me, the way it just flows out so naturally:
The boat's standing by the shore and you're not getting inThe train's pulling up again and you're not getting inMy heart's cleaving, open door, and you're not getting in
The sax is a strong colour, which mostly works as a compliment to your voice but it occasionally gets a little sharp on the tuning. You've mixed it well to compensate for this but perhaps you could have done another take? Alternatively the part could be put down the down the octave, which might have made it sit more comfortably.
# 14 Jealous Brother - Under the Waves
The band sound great together, with BVs and percussion all tastefully adorning a structurally solid song. The chord progression fulfils the theme, but I would have liked a bit more time getting the lyrics sharper / more focused on one clear idea.
Arrangement wise, I think there was room to push the energy up in some sections and down in others as a way of getting more dynamics through the song form - at the moment it's all at a fairly constant energy level. Try taking something out in the last verse to contrast with the high energy solo section, then ramping up to the last chorus.
# 15 The Alleviators - A Start
A great one-two complimentary set of vocals, you've found a good sound with the combination of your two vocals. The bridge earns its place as the high point, this was my favourite moment of the song.
Some technical notes: The vocals could come down in the mix and the whole mix could have more reverb. The clarinet parts add a nice counter voice, so I'd have liked it a little louder in the mix.
One last thing, the cut off at end of song is a little abrupt. I suggest letting the last note ring out naturally, then fade the tail over a second or two at the right time.
# 16 Boo Lee Crosser - As often as I’d like
Raw and honest, with the borrowed key making the lyrics lines go on longer than they might have done otherwise - to great effect. For me, the sax line in the back doesn't add enough in its current place in the mix. I wanted either more of it or to leave them out entirely.
I hope that music hasn't become a burden for you, and that you can enjoy your current relationship with it, whatever it is.
# 17 Wendy Wiseman Fisher - Falls Red With You
Groovy electronica has blended with some interpretive lyrics here to make fun little bop (and there are those pumpkins again). Some spooky organ lends a seasonally appropriate flavour as we approach Halloween.
The melody in the bridge section is where we get some harmonic clashes that need attention. On the lyric 'grind into dust', you've got an Em chord with an F natural in the melody. Options are to shift the melody to an F# or the chord to a D major or (curiously) both! This is part of borrowing the harmony of the chord you're using.
Lyrically I was a little confused because I thought that the equinox is when balance is achieved rather than the point at which it dies, so I guess be careful with articulating the message of the song.
# 18 OutLyer - Dive In
This is a feel good dancefloor anthem! Your voice sounds great here, with the uplifting lyrics providing a great chorus for people to point their fingers in the air at.
The chord progression definitely works to support the song but probably doesn't quite meet the criterion, for which you'd need to use a Dmaj chord instead of Dmin. Seems small but it would have lifted the song into a cool new place, I think.
Keep expanding this one out, with some slamming drums you could lift the chorus to new heights. With the runtime currently under 3 minutes, there's time to ramp this party up!
# 19 chewmeupspitmeout - the house i build wouldn't hold
Structurally this song./house is a great undertaking and there are parts that really hold together, especially the guitar lines before 'I thought myself brave'. Other parts need a big more renovation 'bufetted by the wind and rain'.
The bass line in the Xanadu section allllmost gets there - I liked the attempt and the intention of having movement in that part of the song but it didn't quite come together as it should.
The repeated lyric at the end works, but in terms of vocal performance, I think sliding into the notes made it difficult to multitrack all those parts. If the notes hit a bit more squarely on, this would have worked to send the song off with a stronger refrain.
# 20 Möbius Strip Club - It Feels So Good
I admired your commitment to the 60's syrupy pop approach (is that an autoharp?), but repeated listens to this did leave me a bit cynical, unfortunately. The claps are quite loud in the mix, and also have a very audible reverb tail which could have been shortened.
Using a repeated line for the chorus is definitely hooky. The verses would benefit from a bit more variation and cleverness to hold attention. The AABB rhyme structure feels predictable and even a reordering of the lines to an ABAB would have helped here. I went looking for some examples to assist.
From 'Hey Mickey' (with a familiar clap pattern)
You've been around all night // And that's a little longYou think you've got the right // But I think you've got it wrong
Or from 'Heat Wave'
Could it be the devil in meOr is this the way love's supposed to be?It's like a [repeated chorus lyric]
These are simple rhymes but have a bit more through-line the help justify the repeated lyrics in the other sections.
# 21
bucket - Shoot Me
Well the angriest version of Love Shack I've ever heard. The vocals are messy and unfortunately so is the messaging. With those happy chords and grim messaging it left me an uncomfortable feeling.
In general I've never been a fan of spoken word delivery for songs (with the occasional exception) so this didn't work for me.
The tuning on the guitar and bass is off which didn't help my enjoyment of the song. I think dissonance should be used carefully as a colour, rather than being a feature of the entire song.
# 21
bucket - Shoot MeWell the angriest version of Love Shack I've ever heard. The vocals are messy and unfortunately so is the messaging. With those happy chords and grim messaging it left me an uncomfortable feeling.
In general I've never been a fan of spoken word delivery for songs (with the occasional exception) so this didn't work for me.
The tuning on the guitar and bass is off which didn't help my enjoyment of the song. I think dissonance should be used carefully as a colour, rather than being a feature of the entire song.
# Micah Sommersmith - Three Cheers for the Judges (Shadow)
Well that's quite lovely. Thanks muchly.
# West of Vine - Let It (Shadow)
Great song and use of the theme. I liked that you had good dynamics in your playing which helped it all to ebb and flow naturally. That said, the arpeggiated guitar line came in a little hot, I'd have eased in on the volume fader when it enters and slowly brought it up during the second half of the verse.
The chords at the start of the bridge ('ninety-six years...') were slightly unclear, was one of them a major/minor clash? it would be easy enough to fix but it stood out as the moment was quite exposed.
I really enjoyed those ending harmonies. They're kind of rhythmically messy but somehow perfect, reminded me of early Rolling Stones.
# The Moon Bureau - Susie, Sunday Morning (Shadow)
With that gorgeous laconic vocal line and pad undertone, I'm getting shades of The Smiths. Cool but not in an 'I'm trying to be cool' way.
The solo guitar notes are good but get a little buried in the mix, a bit more dry signal could help with this. The time change doesn't quite land for me, if only because it got a little loose. Is it a metric modulation? If not, consider using this to keep the band locked even through this moment.
# Nathan Joe Long - What I Never Had (Shadow)
Another Waltz! Love the lyrics, they've got a real poetry to them (*Passage and harbor // Lighthouse and martyr*) I also like way the melody rises on these lines, they get pushed to a good place by the harmonic changes. The harp adds a dreamy ethereal element to the already lush sounds.
I think I would have liked one more verse after the bridge, just to wrap things up narratively. Verses 1 and 2 are the Pacific and Mariana, so maybe something to contrast these? Also consider an ending that plays out that last line one more time, just as a farewell.
Small technical note: Consider letting the first lyric start a little earlier, to 'lead in' the tempo change at the start, so you don't rush the delivery of the first line.
# Siebass - The Butterfly Garden in the Zoo (Shadow)
You've painted a beautiful sad portrait of a moving scene. With the 'stripped back' instrumentation, it left room for some extra layers, which I think would smooth out some longer pauses. It's also a way of keeping the listener's ear interested as things change during the song. At >4min duration, I could have used a little more variation throughout. The other trick it's worth considering is to use more reverb on the piano, to 'embiggen' the sound (it's a perfectly cromulent word to use in this instance).
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