First, ranks, then reviews below. I included the shadows - they're ranked with .5's to show where I would have put them were they actual submissions.
Pleasure to Meet You Review by Cybronica - in alphabetical order
All the Robots - This is a robot song I can get behind. I love how you use distortion! It’s so well done, and intentional. Along with the layering of synths and then the final harmonized distorted vocals, it is superb. Great listen. The lyrics are like a modified pantoum, which is really cool, and they way they fold over each other during each progressive stanza and distortion is delightful. That said, I don’t feel like I met someone and they introduced themselves, so DISQUALIFIED. Good thing you’re a shadow, huh?
Also in Blue - Holy cow what a way to start! I LOVE the intro. Close vocal harmonies are
The string pedal tone makes sense, but grates ever so slightly the longer it goes on. Maybe if it shimmered between different octaves, different dynamics, or another timbre, it would have kept the desired effect without being overdone. It’s mainly an issue because it makes me overly aware of the same instrument in the rest of the song in a way that distracts me from enjoying the song. And boy do I like to enjoy this song. I just want to swim through your vocals. Only hitch - the high note on “away” loses control. I’m sure you can sing it to line up with the rest of your range’s tone. Regarding the challenge, this is more a song about introductions than an actual introduction. Yet, even as I write that, I realize I’m splitting hairs. You pass!
BYD - Do you have an overzealous autotune on your vocals, or is it just a by product of the multitracked vocals? Either way, it grates a little on multiple listens, especially since the verse melody is so repetitive. I do really like when you do the chords on the oo vowel in the chorus. I think I just want less unison, more harmonies with all those vocal takes. The guitar sounds pretty low in the mix, I’d like it a little higher. The lyrics are fun; I especially like “Dulcimer tones from a Tuvan throat.” I definitely feel like you introduced yourselves, so challenge is met!
Boy on the Wall - Vocal reminds me of Pharrell Williams; so smooth, and they’re well produced. I like the intimate, almost talky, Prince quality to how you singing, and the call backs in my right ear are a nice touch. I quite like the featured rap - she sounds great, and I loooove what she’s saying! In fact all the lyrics are well conceived and clever. I especially like “Already swept you off your feet/So pass the broom I’ll sweep the floor.” It’s the little turns of phrase like that that make me smile. The orchestra hit miiiiight be overused. Aside from its overuse, this is a fun song. Definitely fulfills the challenge, I feel like I met someone and they introduced themselves.
The Brewhouse Sessions - You’re a good singer, but every so often I hear something falter in the tone. I think you need a little more of yourself in the sound, and a little more surety of what youre doing vocally. I hear it (the good stuff) on the chorus, especially on “i am beer!” The unsure sound is more in the verses; its got a tightness in your throat that negatively affects the sound, imo. The song needs more melodic contrast in the verses. In the choruses where you don’t have the second “I am beer,” its absence is heavily felt. If you don’t sing it again ( which I do think was a wise choice), maybe put in another instrument doing a counter melody over the riff. Otherwise it's too abrupt. Speaking of abrupt, you can hear the c/p of tracks between the first chorus and second verse. You can avoid this by bringing the volume all the way down for the split second of the splice (not ideal, but better than the c/p jump), or have one instrument play continuously over the seam so it’s less noticeable. For best results do both. This song is too repetitive to be this long, and it is too long to be this repetitive. My rec: Give it a faster tempo to make it a pattersong, and/or (preferably and) make the melody more varied in the verse. It’s a shame because the lyrics are really clever. “The grain mill cracks me up/The hot water soothes my soul” - this kind of word play is my jam, but it is lost in the sameness of the rest of the song. This is a sister song to Brian Grey’s Keep the Yeast Alive a couple years back- they need to be on a beer playlist! Challenge: You are beer, I met you, you introduced yourself, but also gave me your life’s story. I’ve been to this cocktail party already - pass me a beer. Also you pass!
Side note: listening to this song over and over for the review made me crack open a Miller Light, so maybe check with them about getting on their marketing team?
Buku Chauney - Hard to hear the lyrics here. Everything just seems a little muffled, like I’m listening to the concert from the next room in the bar. The piano is really nice. Is that played live? It sounds like it, and I think it is the best part of the song. The overall is pretty good, but nothing to write home about. The problem is this song doesn’t stand out to me, and i want it to, because I think it’s a nice song, just hard to tell. As an introduction, this is pretty weak. You pass the challenge, but I really can’t say if I like you until I get to know you better.
Cavedwellers - I really like how the separated syllabification of the intro is echoed (pun intended) in the echo on the guitar. Like a lot of your songs, this grows on me more and more as I listen to it. I really do need to listen to it several times to hear all the interesting bits and pieces of the instrumentals weaving together. Some might say the lyric is too esoteric to be an introduction, but as someone who’s been listening to your music for a few years now, yes, this is absolutely an introduction to who you are as a band. The porpoise line is my favorite, though it makes more sense written down than in the context of the song.
David G Harrington - It’s not a prominent part of the texture, but the piano is what I notice most. Are you playing live or quantizing your midi? Not a value judgement either way, just curious.The piano is great, and I can totally hear it being played live on stage. Surprise slide guitar is good slide guitar. The multitracked vocals don’t quite line up in the chorus, and that bothers my ear. You put a lot of energy and feeling in your vocals in the verse, but then the chorus vocals sound very pressed to the point of being a little strained-whisper in tone. You didn’t need to pull back your tone there; in fact, I want more sound on the chorus. I realize it’s a little higher, but if you take a solid breath and trust your voice, you’ll find it’s there for you. I like the hard panned backing vocals in the bridge; it makes for a great moment. The autotune is a bit distracting the more I listen to this song. Challenge: I do feel like I know Dave now (is he ok?), so this has a pass.
Declan IOM - I find it hard to call this a song. I’m sorry, there’s just not much for me to grab onto. I can’t hear the lyrics, the drone doesn’t have a harmonic purpose (maybe just a textural one), and the plucking sound seems to be there just to emphasize the rhythm of the vocal line, yet isn’t consistent. Even then, there isn’t much rhythm, and I have trouble finding a pulse. All that said, I realize that you have chosen these elements as a creative choice. I just think this should be playing on a loop over an art installation at the Tate Museum of Modern art full of snowy 70s era tvs and artfully stacked chairs (this is an exhibit I saw there when i was visiting london, and that is what your song reminds me of…). For what you're going for…. You did it, and did a decent job at it, but I don't want to listen to it more than I have to. The lyrics are unnerving, but in a different way. Maybe the music is supposed to be a complement to the eeriness of the subject matter, in which case - brilliant - well done - why don’t you have a Tate exhibit yet? The lyrical intention is clear, but it is inelegant, and not super poetical. Not to say lyrics have to be poems, but it would have been nice to have something to hold on to with this song. I met the robot, so you passed the challenge.
Dented Bento - IV is that you? Your voice sounds really great, and I love the harmonies in the chorus; they line up perfectly. I also like the eguitar and the synths together; the texture is yummy. You’ve sparked joy for me! That bass synth has a wonderful timbre, and the two synths that are in my right ear/left ear as accents in the chorus are a great contrast. As I listen again, are they actually eguitar with different pedals? Synth right, eguitar left? It’s a really cool effect. I like how you imitate that effect in the solo by hard panning (stronger in the right) the two takes with different effects. This song is so very sweet, and paints a wonderful picture. I’m a bit of a pack rat, so I will admit that Marie Kondo fills me also with anxiety (also thanks for the Ring shout out. Pretty sure I’ve got a rheingold score on my shelves packed with way too many books). All that to say, I feel for you, dented bento. And, I feel like you introduced yourself (“A lonely lunchbox with a Laptop and electric guitar”), so you fulfill the challenge for me.
EmKayDeeBee - I like your voice a lot, especially when you have the harmonized vocals; the conversational bridge is also really effective. What I love about your voice is that it sounds purely YOU - you aren’t trying to sound like someone else, which is evident in its evenness of tone throughout your range and with different dynamics and intensities. Also your voice has just a wonderful timbre. It’s a perfect mix of head voice with connection to chest voice. Harp sounds great, too - I love the sparse orchestration of just it and hand/shaker perc. The harp really provides everything you need in the arrangement. Especially the solo. You are very good (which I’m sure you already know). I definitely met you; you pass the challenge.
Giraffes for Wings - The orchestration is interesting. Both silly instrumentation and then at times serious, which makes me think this song is taking itself too seriously on purpose, which I like. Some of the vocals are pitchy, especially on the ‘da da da’s at the end. The last high notes are flat (or sharp? I could hear the notes on either side being correct. Choose one). It seems like you just dont have enough energy in the voice in the back half of the song. Take a deeper, quieter breath; besure to expand your lungs without over-filling; release in a steady controlled stream. This would have been higher in my rankings if your ending vocal hadn’t been lack lustre. Also, despite your grand play out, I don’t know your name. This doesn’t seem much like an introduction.
GGS - The verse about Kyle made me giggle. Guitars seem low. Vocals a little fuzzy. How is it possible that EVERYTHING feels mixed low? The (good) guy in my right ear doing shout outs is so great and is like 74% of this song’s personality (the other 26% is Kyle jkjk I just really laughed hard at that verse). I love when you go into harmonies at the end. Challenge is fulfilled.
Governing Dynamics - Great opening. Very 80s nostalgia. I just want to thrash my head around and sing along. The reverb on the vocal is different that i usually hear, and I like it, makes this sound like a HiFidelity live recording. The lyrics do have an introduction at the very beginning, but I think it’s weak… actually, the lyrics aren’t much to write home about, but you make up for it with the quality of the music. The bass line is great too- I’m enjoying following it in the instrumental break. And I like the oo’s vocals on the break, too.
HandHammered - The guitar is the star of this song. Beautiful tone, beautifully played, and I love the slide guitar in the background adding color. This is what I would call a palette cleanser song. The lyrics are really beautiful, and interestingly poeticized, but I don’t feel like I met you or was introduced to you. Unfortunately, you get bumped down a bunch because I just don’t see this as fulfilling the challenge.
Hot Pink Halo - This is lovely to listen to. Probably one of your best, and certainly my favorite that I’ve heard from you. Your vocals are sounding good, very well in line with each other. I like how different instruments come in and out in the different sections. It does a great job of keeping the song interesting. The lyrics are fabulous, so vivid, so colorful, so referencing TMNT. I like the take on your stage name. You fulfilled the challenge for me.
Hutch - Love the blues. Vocal is mixed a bit hot. I like the song, but it is not an introduction. DISQUALIFIED jk you’re a shadow. This is fun just to listen to in the background.
Jealous Brother - I like the change up - the song until then was getting a bit repetitive, but the bridge is polyrhythmic bliss. I want the solo after to be longer! It’s. much. Too. short. Though I guess you were already six seconds past your 3:30 mark... This is a classic meet the band song, and so you pass the challenge easily.
Jon Porobil - Love the lyrical concept. Would like a touch of reverb (not a whole lot, and not on the solo) on the vocals to match the reverb effect on your chosen synth. The way you bring in and out the chorused ‘hiiiiii Joooon’ in a doppler way is great. I especially like when you bring it in in minor, and then again bring in the effect without the vocals, like it’s a memory that snaps you out of your spiral. The music is well arranged, but the star of this song is your take on the challenge, and how you use reverse reverb to reinforce it. I think the take is brilliant, and is my favorite interpretation of the challenge.
Keen Observer - Clever. Nice groove, driving action, and catchy too. The funky (pun intended) sound you have is a good match for the silly nature of the lyrics. It’s not like you’re cracking jokes, but hey, who doesn’t laugh at bathroom humor? (grandma I know you're giving me the stink eye but I know you giggle when no one’s around). I really like all they ways you manage to talk about poop in clever and interesting ways. Nice to meet you, Mr. Shit, it’s a pleasure.
Lichen Throat - As always, I love the midi band behind you. It’s a series of sounds that I love, especially your drums. Your vocals are sounding really good - the melody is pretty clear, and doesn’t clash much at all. I noticed that you have a bass doubling the melody, and this is a very wise choice. I want your higher notes to have more support. You get great breath support under low lines like ‘i dug in the earth,’ but then the higher lines get off your breath and it makes them a little pitchy. I like the lyrics a lot - they are charming and funny and just dark enough to match the music. I need a t-shirt that says, “I Met the King of the Gnomes!” You pass the challenge.
Little Bobby Tables - First of all, love the name. This song is sweet. Did you perform it live? I hear someone (a kid?) in the background, and I can’t tell if it’s intentional or not. Speaking of recording live, I can hear your electric piano’s weighted keys (they sound just like mine). I recommend bumping up the volume on your piano and put the mic farther away from the keys. I feel like I met someone at a party and had this chat, so you pass the challenge. Favorite part of the song is the counterpoint vocal harmonies on the last line.
Lucky Witch and the Righteous Ghost - AAAAAAaaaaaaaaooooooo….. That hook! It keeps growing on me, so that I am singing along now. I love the brash confidence in your voice on it. And well sung! Dare I even hear a tad of healthy vibrato on the hellos? It’s great. I really love this song. It’s so spooky monster scary bump in the night. The lyrics are sinister, especially, which is fun because the music seems… more hopeful? there. Hello hook is so catchy, great stuff. I feel like I met Cthulu; challenge gets a pass.
Melody Klein - Intro reminds me of the temple of time in OOT in the best way possible. The tams/drums in general are a wonderful sound. I like the vocal (synth? I assume?? I hear no breaths) harmony winding around itself. The musical progression of this song is incredible. I love the build, the drama towards the end. This piece is symphonic, and I like that a lot about it. This is a sound I could listen to all day, and love, and tickles all my videogamey fancies, but I cannot make out any of your lyrics, partially due to the mix, and partially due to the effects on the vocal. Sonically they are a great, an excellent choice, but it would take a couple years of me listening to this to ever get what the song is about. Good thing you posted the lyrics! You laid yourself bare, and that takes a lot of courage. I definitely know you better than I did before I read the lyrics, so challenge get a pass.
Menage a Tune - Lovely tune. I like the sparse G+G arrangement. The melody is a bit repetitive for me, though. The chorus needs a bigger contrast from the verses, and maybe it also needs a bridge, maybe something with the harp in there as solo or ornamental instrument? It’s too bad it’s only in the intro. The lyrics are cute and relatable, but they seem a bit wordy. It’s like the lines are overstuffed. Part of that impression is reinforced by the fact that the beats in the voice and the guitar don’t always line up, which make this feel like ever slightly like an early draft. You def introduced yourself, challenge passed with flying colors.
Mystery Science Creator 3000 - I like the intro, but it's a little too quiet a little too long. I would have brought the volume up in a graduated way, so that we can hear it getting closer, instead of wondering if our speakers are working. Otherwise though, I really like how you use dynamic and volume in your story telling. Speaking of storytelling, this is of the more explicitly telling-a-story-songs in the round. Problem is, I don’t feel like there is much of an introduction. I know at the end you you ‘introduce’ the new hybrid creation, so it doesn’t get a DQ, but I think the challenge element in this song is weak. Too bad! I like the song as a dramatic piece.
Night Sky - Very TMBG to my ear. MAN I love the sax. The solo is wonderful, though I would like to hear just a touch of reverb on there. Without it, it feels a little rough; I can hear the room more than I like. Lack of reverb doesn’t bother me on the vocals for some reason, maybe because it sounds like a choice. Also LOVE the funky bass. This has a great unity of tone throughout the whole piece. (listening on different speakers, the lack of verb on the solo doesn’t bother me so much). I wanna listen to the whole album. There’s an introduction or two in the lyrics, so you get a pass on the challenge.
Ominous Ride - You have such great moody vocals, full of attitude. As I’ve said to some others, your vocals are great because they are YOUR vocals, not trying to sound like something else or being too pressed. I love how they overlap at times; it creates a cool effect. The multitracked vocals on the chorus sometimes get a little sloppy, but I can’t help but think that that’s on purpose. It matches the feel of the rest of the song (not that the song is sloppy, just got a laissez faire feel). The lyrics are such a pump up. I want to print them out and put them on my fridge as a daily affirmation. Definitely feel like I met you - challenge pass.
Pigfarmer Jr - Bold opening line. This is one of the few songs I hear the lyrics to on the first run (normally they don’t sink in until the fifth or sixth listen); this is a poignant tune full of heart. Your love for your art soaks through the music and lyrics. I like the vocal harmonies, but sometimes they don’t line up with the melody in a distracting kind of way. And then WOW THAT CHANGE UP. Comes out of nowhere. I like it, but wish it had a lyrical coda sung over it. This is one of my favorites from this round because of how truly genuine it feels. And yes I feel like you told me who you are (middle aged rock star!), so you pass the challenge!
rackwagon - I like the opening a lot. Then the second intro puts me in a dreamy groove. I love how all the pieces come in one at a time. On the first few listens, all I catch is WE ARE RACK WA GON. and that’s a good hook to make me remember your name. I love the brass pad after the hook, and I love the overlapping vocals on “Now you know who we are.” I do feel like you introduced yourselves, so good on ya. Did you mean to end abruptly and have five seconds of nothing on the end? If yes - interesting choice. I would have liked a different way to end. If no - always listen to your track before you submit! You weren’t in the last hour to submit, so you had time to check.
Regis Michelena - This makes me laugh. I even looked at your song art and it gave me an additional chuckle. Accordion? Keytar? Whatever it is, it adds delight to the ridiculousness of this song. The speak singing works here for a quirky song like this, and I find myself liking it more and more. I don’t mind some of the pitchiness because it feels like just part of the style. You’ve got a lot of personality in this song, so I feel like I know you now (which was the whole point, right?). I definitely met you at a party and you were drunk but also have also heard people compare you to that regis enough times that you start into your whole self deprecating joke about it without being prompted. I am entertained, you plass the challenge for me, & thanks for clarifying which regis.
See-Man-Ski - “I’m just a man in a mid-life crisis” I love how this becomes the hook. So catchy! So self aware! So funny! And the chords under are delightfully twisty and fun, fitting the rest of the song. Your voice has so much character, so much attitude, and I really like how you bend your voice on “me” before the playout. The multiple vocals line up really well, and you pan them well. This song is short, tho. I wanted it to go somewhere farther. I feel like I met you, you pass.
Sober - I love this, and I was like, “Why is this such a bop?” and then I realized you had sneaky vocal harmonies all the way through and boy is that surely a way to my heart. You sing beautifully, and your backing vocals are perfectly aligned with each other. Add in the banjo, which is so bubbly, and this song is delightful. I won’t be the only one to make reference to Mumford and Sons; I love this song, and I love them, so I don’t mind. Moreover, just pop informed bluegrass is what I get from this. I don’t feel like you’re introducing yourself in this song, which unfortunately will knock you down in my rankings. I do feel like I had a long half drunk conversation with you in the back room of the house party about philosophy, life, and what it all means, and didn’t realize until the next day that I never got your name, though, so you won’t be knocked down too far.
The Dutch Widows - I like that riff - this whole song is full of early 00s goodness. I love the effects you have on the guitar solo, but the sounds of your orchestration makes a bigger and better impression than the actual solo line, which is too bad. I do think this song is well orchestrated. That crazy thing you do with chords at the very end is great! Why didn’t you do that more, or keep going exploring the idea? I feel like I have a better idea of you who are as a band so you pass this challenge for me.
The Wizards of Vomit - It is really hard to hear your voice at all, which is too bad because the rest of the mix is really nice to listen to. I especially like that low… clicking? sound panned hard in either ear. Sounds like an old record. Part of what messes with the vocals is that the double tracks don’t line up a lot of the time. The lyrics are tautologically lyrics. I don’t really think there’s an introduction here. You’re talking about yourself, but I don’t really think this meets the challenge.
Vom Vorton - That solo (duet?) is my favorite part, especially the last line of it. That call and response section has a real, “Everybody in the pub join in!” vibe, which I like. The synth you use in the texture really emphasizes the 80s nostalgia element in your song. The lyrics, as I have come to expect, are fun, singable, and clever. The whole thing can be summed up in the line “I used to be an honest man/now I am a liar” and I love how you weave the sentiment throughout the song before stating it clearly. You are introducing your rebooted self, so you indeed pass the challenge.
Yo Mammy and the Fuzznuts - What an incredible wall of sound at the start. I love how it forms into the music, stretching, bending, twisting. I kinda wish the vocals didn’t have that ‘live performance’ filter on them (or maybe you actually recorded live?). It makes it hard to make out the vocals and words. I suppose it matches the timbres in the wall of sound, but too much of a good thing, yeah? This song toes the line between music and noise for me, mainly by virtue of the amount of white noise in all the sounds you chose. It would have been really cool if you had those sounds morph into more pure* tones to create more of a contrast, showing that you were doing it on purpose, but as is it leans more and more towards noise the longer it goes on. I kinda feel like it ends abruptly, but I don’t mind that it ends when it does. I suppose you fulfilled the challenge with the spoken words at the start, but the song doesn’t have much of an introduction element to it. You pass, but your colors are not flying.
*I say pure in terms of less distortion/white noise, not as a judgement call
