Spin Tunes 20 R1- Opportunity Knocks

[glennny]

Review all or some of the 47 entries.

[glennny]

Opportunity Knocks- ST20R1 (the 1st 21 reviews)

Berni Armstrong- Nice little folk song. Nice guitar playing. Nice vocals. It’s a GnG so it hangs almost all of its interest on the story. It’s a good story. It also helps me justify my bins full of power supplies, the crutches I’ve saved, and all the cables in my garage. It’s a little long for the music, but it’s genre appropriate. I have to pay attention to the lyrics to enjoy it best. As background music while I’m paying attention to something else, it’s rather samey. Good stuff! I’d love to hear more instruments.

Balance Lost- Yes! This was the first song I rushed to listen to. I’m a fan. This is awesome! You’re sooo good at dynamics! 2:29 is smart for this many contestants, I am still left craving more. I enjoy the synth solo! I love that you have an ending! See you in round 2!

The Evil Genius Formerly Known as Timmy- The bpm is way too slow. It’s something like 110 and it seems like it should be 130 or at least 128 like a proper dance song. I enjoy the falsetto and singing about monkeys. I want the synths to be more sinister like Gary Numan. Vocals are too loud too. Lot’s of good ideas.

Huge Shark- I think the drums and synths are too modern. I really want this to be a full on 1976 disco track. The 4 on the floor is good. I really wish this was more of a Giorgio Moroder production for these vocals. The vocals are the best part! Good song! Good story!

Jerkatorium- I love this song! Great melodies! Great singing! Tasty guitar licks throughout! I especially love the “ crisis / christ it’s, crisis / price is, crisis / ice this” lyrics. When we’re mixing your album, we’ll have a talk about dynamics in this song. It’s a nitpick, but I’d like more of a quiet part and a louder part. Our song could stand to have more dynamics too. Great job! See you in round 2!

Daniel Sitler- This is too long. I keep waiting for the drums to kick in. It feels like a very long intro. I enjoy the earnest singing. This could use some editing and some more orchestration. I feel the heartache. Good stuff!

Hot Pink Halo- I’m enjoying your vocals and vocal melody a lot! The drums are so quiet. The mix is strange to me, but it’s a good song! Good chorus hook!

Mandrake- This is interesting! I’d like to hear the vocals come up. This is through composed. It’s an interesting journey, but I never know where I am in the song. The dynamics are great. There’s some great sounds! I’d never know what you were saying without the lyrics sheet.

Pannacotta Army- You guys (guy?) are great! Excellent dynamics. Wonderful production! Great singing. This is very enjoyable musically. Lyrically solid too! See you in Round 2! Keep it up! This is a contender for the win. Love it!

Phlub- I’m a Tesla guy. Almost 16 years. I’ve been here longer than Elon. Your drawl cracks me up. This is cute.

The Popped Hearts- Drum machine blues. I’d kill for some live drums on this one. Guitars are too quiet too, especially with that delicious distortion. Turn it up! The backing vocals are great! Maybe it’s your band name, but this reminds me of the Exploding Hearts. Is that on purpose? Yeah, I want the production to sound like the song Modern Kicks. Good song! This would be fun to cover also. 2;17 is the perfect length for this! Good job!


The Practitioners- Rap. Not my genre. If you’re going to rap, please give me some funk to grab on to. You have some good lyrics. I really like “..reality check the mic”. There’s some interesting production going on! Cool stuff!

Profestriga- Remember when you ran away and I got on my knees and begged you not to leave because I'd go berserk? Maybe it’s Tommy G, but I often feel like I’m listening to the Dr. Demento show. This song is very – They’re Coming to take Me Away. There’s the same lilt and rhythm in the verse. You fit tons of lyrics into 3:24. The drum beat gets a bit grating. This is fun.

Siebass- This is funny. Good song! Good chorus! This will do well. See you in Round 2.

The Single Pint of Failure- This is the song I want to cover in that post contest cover thing. However, I think I want you on vocals again. I enjoy this song and I really enjoy your passionate vocal delivery. I don’t like this mix however. The guitars seem like they should be loud and sludgy, but they’re so quiet. I like the Pogues/Psych Furs vocal affectation. Attitude is awesome. Yeah, I really want to redo the drums, guitar and bass. I think the verses are stronger than the chorus, but it’s good.

Sober- Contender. You kick ass at this genre. (you said FUCK) Vocals sound awesome. Drums sound great! All those Mandy licks are wonderful! This is excellent, see you in Round 2.

Stacking Theory- Yes! I was looking forward to this. This is great! I love the quiet verses, then we all dance for a while, then quiet verse again. No real chorus, just dance breaks. This is one of my favorites! Cool stuff! I’d buy this album! See you in Round 2.

Tunes by LJ- Smart! You should write commercials. Cut it to 60 seconds, you have a career. Is there a time minimum? I’ve seen them here before. I don’t see one. You’re nice to the judges. You pack it all in here, and it’s great! Nice groove, great production, catchy melody, excellent dynamics! A+. yes, I’m left wanting more. Great! See you in round 2.

Susan Veit Heslin- Guitar sounds great! Pretty song. Gal and Guitar (GnG). I like the harmonies in the chorus. This is very mellow.

Jeff Walker- Solid country! Not my favorite genre, but this is done very well! I’m a little thrown by the drum intro. I thought it was establishing a beat, but turns out it was just an intro thing. This is the love song one of us had to write with this prompt. Good job! See you in Round 2.

Weiner- I like the violin line. The bass sounds great. This song is all vibe. I’m not grabbing on to any melodic hook here. I almost feel like we should take parts from both of your entries and stitch them together for more variation. I feel like this song needs a catchy chorus, and never finds one.

[sleepysilverdoor]

Please play my song for your coworkers. I beg of you.

Knowing that there are Tesla employees out there giggling at my ad would be the best thing ever.

[gizo]

Opportunity Knocks- ST20R1 (the 1st 21 reviews)

The Single Pint of Failure- This is the song I want to cover in that post contest cover thing. However, I think I want you on vocals again. I enjoy this song and I really enjoy your passionate vocal delivery. I don’t like this mix however. The guitars seem like they should be loud and sludgy, but they’re so quiet. I like the Pogues/Psych Furs vocal affectation. Attitude is awesome. Yeah, I really want to redo the drums, guitar and bass. I think the verses are stronger than the chorus, but it’s good.

Wow. Thank you, that some nice words, and pretty on point too.

Happy to send you the stems and explanation of the timing/patterns if you wanna play about with it

[BoffoYux]

47 official songs and 2 shadows. The LP was almost 3 hours long. To say it was massive is an understatement.

Thanks to everyone who contributed to round 1, and I'll try and get some reviews up this week. There was a lot of great banter in the chat room - if you missed the listening party, I highly suggest you go and check out the chat from it while your song played for some feedback.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7n308s0HWY&t=1s

You can listen to the Album here

[BoffoYux]

For the stats nerds: Here's the Bandcamp playback log thru Wednesday at 5:40p

Bandcamp Stats 3/20-3/22

st20r1a.JPG (118.5 KiB) Viewed 1250 times

Bandcamp Stats 3/20-3/22

ST20r1b.JPG (108.42 KiB) Viewed 1250 times

[crumpart]

Hah! I guess sometimes sharing a link to your song does get people to listen! #1 for once! I would like to thank the people of my local art collective for this honour, and probably definitely not my Facebook friends. Pretty sure they rarely listen.

[crumpart]

To be honest though, if the plays from my phone were added in, Privilege by Ironbark would have a whole lot more love.

KAREN WONG
KAREN WONG
KAREN WONG
KAREN WONG

[sleepysilverdoor]

What do the green yellow and red parts mean?

[crumpart]

What do the green yellow and red parts mean?

It looks like green is a complete listen, yellow is a partial listen and red is a skip.

[crumpart]

What do the green yellow and red parts mean?

It looks like green is a complete listen, yellow is a partial listen and red is a skip.

But then there's people like me who just download the whole album from the get go and add it into Apple Music.

[DutchWidows]

Despite this being my fourth crack at SpinTunes, I’ve not done reviews before and thought it was about time. So why not start with the largest ever Round 1..?

I probably lean more towards a FAWM-style of commenting – trying to focus on positives as I figure that the point of all of this is to encourage creativity and development and not squash everything. I’ve tried to add constructive elements where there’s something I think I can usefully say, but usual caveat applies – it’s just my opinion, and I wouldn’t listen to me, so why should anyone else?

In case it’s relevant (and given some of my comments, it might be), I listened on a pair of powered Kali IN-5 monitor speakers and Status Audio CB-1 headphones, via an Audient ID44 interface, both having their inherent frequency responses flattened using SoundID Reference software.

I listened to everything at least twice and in most instances, many times more than twice. Apologies if this is all mindless rambling… Sorry also that it's quite long.


Berni Armstrong: A nice wry lyric with a classic feeling delivery. Can totally relate to the hoarder instinct - it will all be useful one day and this song proves it!

Bubba & The Ghost of the Kraken: Good driving thrust to this; really liked the way it opened up into the “I imagine now” section – a really cool gear change. The line “I’ll figure it out eventually plus I don’t care” is great!

Daniel Sitler: I immediately like the feel to this. Not sure what’s creating the rhythmic pulses, but I like them a lot! The change into the “I remember how” section is really nice – it just opens out, and the vocals kinda crowd in. It feels open and claustrophobic at the same time. Really like the melancholic downward melody on “The rest of me?” - very nice indeed.

The Pannacotta Army: Lovely gentle feel to the verses – the guitar in the second halves of each verse is really nice – and the chorus guitar tones are lovely; very Cocteau Twins. Nice vocal melodies, and the delivery has real charm to it. Nice production too.

Balance Lost: Can relate to the bio – bullet dodged! On first listen, I thought I would’ve preferred what I think is an acoustic guitar in the verses to be a little less present. To my ear, it sounded like its rhythm worked slightly against the rest of the instruments. On second listen though, I liked it, so I think any issues there are mine! Nice lyric and enjoyed the urgency in the vocal delivery. Solo’s cool!

The Single Pint of Failure: Good and loud – sounds solid and chunky, though drums could do with a bit more oomph. Could be my speakers though. Great vocal delivery – I really liked the slight inflexion in the voice and it has great energy – a touch too high towards the end perhaps, but I’m hopeless at mixing vocals, so might just be me.

Weiner: Drums felt a touch lifeless – perhaps everything sitting at the exact same consistent level with no variation – which detracts a little for me. Could perhaps have used a bit more variety or maybe some percussion to support it. Acoustic guitar sounds great on my speakers, and the synth-y bits and strings retain interest throughout. The vocals are relatively flat (dynamically, not in the sense of tuning), which totally works in this context, but they perhaps would have rooted the track a little more if the song was more rhythmically dynamic.

Sober: The chorus on this is great – love the harmonies. The lead vocal sounds oddly disconnected from the music to me. The instruments all sound great – nice, bright and well presented and some super playing - but the vocal sounds slightly limited frequency-wise, or it has a very different (and smaller sounding) reverb, so it sounds spatially distinct. That may have been a deliberate choice, but I found it stopped me getting completely on board. I went back and listened again on headphones, and it’s far less noticeable on them, so I’m gonna put that down to my speakers, but leave it here in case its useful.

Tunes by LJ: Love the intent behind this. Say what you need to say, say it quickly, and then get out. Condensing songs down to their essence is a great skill – The Beatles were obvious masters at the start of their careers. I’d say this delivers on its intent – it’s short, packs in quite a lot, doesn’t overstay its welcome and even has an instrumental outro. All in 1m13s. Doesn’t feel rushed – the bassline in particular is very nice in a laid back jazzy way. I liked it!

Stacking Theory: I’ve listened to this five times in a row – it’s a catchy song, with a solid message. Love the layered vocals and the bit after the second verse with the wordless singing is really lovely – it’s one of my favourite things in music.

Hot Pink Halo: This is great; violin and distorted guitars giving me John Cale/Velvet Underground vibes, which I’m totally here for! Great lyrics, great melodies. The drop into the x-ray machine bit is delightful. This is a strong song for sure, and possibly my favourite HPH song…

Jeff Walker: Really nice traditional country vibe to this. The lyrics are great – a sweet lament for lost love. It’s a strong song – all the elements work really well.

The Evil Genius formerly known as Timmy: The falsetto sections are great – proper earworms – but I found the verses a touch lacking in dynamism, which may well have been deliberate on your part to get some contrast. I have no idea what it’s about, and I love that! I have no idea what most of my favourite songs are about, and that’s my happy place.

Huge Shark: Great vocal right out of the blocks and it sits perfectly in the music. It’s a really well-produced, polished sound. The harmonies are superb – the layering is brilliant, particularly on the last “more”. Having seen the comments on Discord, I went back and listened on headphones, and I can kinda hear the low end issue, but it doesn’t sound too much of an issue to me. Probably says more about my ears than anything else. A great lyrical conceit – when opportunity knocks, be wary.

Profestriga: This feels very modern musical to me, although that is an imagined take as I know next to nothing about musicals, modern or otherwise. There’s drama here, and it’s a great production. I love the upright bass, particularly the creaks and squeaks that occasionally pop in. The “No, you” sections are superb – got a lovely rhythm and bounce to them.

Mandrake: This snaps right from the start, properly grabs the attention, particularly if you turn it right up, which I did. Musically, it’s really engaging, particularly rhythmically – it’s full of great sounds. There’s some great layering of vocals, though I would be tempted to bring them up a touch in level in places and play with the EQ a bit to either brighten them or lose some of the low mids. Enjoyed it!

The Practitioners: This is great and really stands out for being different to the more common indie-adjacent guitar fare (I include myself in that group - no slight or shade intended). This has great beats, sounds, and samples, and the lyric is fantastic - some superb lines. This is strong, strong stuff.

The Popped Hearts: Punky vibes and a great name. Big fan of the doubled vocals with one a bit more shouty – it’s really effective. For some reason, this feels like quite an Irish punk song – got a kinda Stiff Little Fingers or Fontaines D.C. feel, and the singer has a slight Irish twang (though I may be imagining that). I wanted the drums to be a bit more dynamic, because everything else about this absolutely pops and the drums are a touch flat to my ear. Other than that minor (and entirely subjective) quibble, this is great.

Phlub: Great concept for a song! It’s lyrically really good and the delivery has real charm; I particularly loved the backing vocals. The change up for the last section is musically and vocally such a cool left turn – it lifts the song to another level. I didn’t want it to end!

Susan Veit Heslin: The presentation is so simple, it’s super-effective – really tastefully done. The guitar tone is spot on and it’s so well played and under-stated, the song just floats along. The vocals are really good, great tone again, and the control you have is superb. The harmonies are great and their sparing really makes them stand out. I would have pulled the vocal up a touch relative to the guitar, but that’s just personal preference and intelligibility is not diminished by the mix. Very nicely done!

Siebass: Great energy here – those rhythm guitars really push things along nicely, the drum patterns rock but could have done with being a touch punchier or higher in the mix, and the lead guitar lines that weave around are great. Similar sentiment to the Balance Lost song – a lament for a rock star life that could’ve been? Some great lines like “When life knocks you down stay down” and having a “leg-face” is such a funny concept – I heard it and had to double-check – “was that ‘leg-face’? Yes. Yes, it was.”

The Dutch Widows: Pft. Whatever.

Loren Kyoshi Dempster: I appreciated the bio – when a song has a specific meaning or resonance for the writer, I like to understand the intent or background. There’s an REM song that I’d thought for years for just about parakeets and I found out recently that it’s actually about domestic violence, and that understanding changed everything for me. The song somehow just shone more once I understood the intent – it’s a very clever bit of writing, once you know it’s not literally about birds. Anyway, I digress. There are lots of elements to enjoy here. Lyrically it’s very well done – and that’s where the bio was super helpful as I’m not sure I would have got the context without that information - and I loved it when the brass came in. The song has a nice feel to it, some of the vocal delivery felt rushed while other bits hit a sweet spot of word rhythm / delivery. I suspect with more time you could iterate to a smoother overall feel – just tiny tweaks here and there that only come about by repetition. Possibly could have done with a bit of trimming length-wise, as 5 minutes is quite a heavy burden in a competition, particularly where there are so many entries.

Roddy: Very familiar with the subject matter! Those 5 minute videos where they promise the earth “just watch this video and I’ll show you this magic technique to release your inner Joe Satriani”, but they never actually tell you anything until you get the sales pitch at the end, which miraculously has a one-time discount if you sign up immediately. Again, I digress. Nice jazzy feel to this, and I like the lyrical flip where the secret is revealed – just do this too. As you say, just a big ponzi scheme!

Governing Dynamics: This starts so well – the bass, guitar, drums and vocals all sound great and are really well-balanced. I really like the deadened strums on the guitar – kind of forcing some harmonics in there too. Great sound. Vocal and guitar doubling is really effective. I like the change in the “Don’t you want to get in on…” bit (the bridge?) and the bass in that is really tastefully done, almost McCartney-esque so. There’s a Foo Fighter-y feel to the chorus vocal, that I like too. I have nothing useful to say on this really. It’s a good song, done well.

Yeslessness: I really like the lyrical direction of this - dark but amusing and self-aware! Really like the change up at the start where it shifts from the tango-esque rhythm into something poppier. That rising bass is fantastic. Some great harmonies too – “force majeure” was my favourite. Chorus is great - puts me in mind of Sparks, who I love!

James Young: The acoustic guitar sounds great and is really nicely played. As with Sober’s song, the vocal sounds slightly limited frequency-wise to me (I don’t mean in the quieter chorus at around 3 minutes where it sounds deliberate) – I’m beginning to think this must be my speakers. Certainly, it sounds a little less so on my headphones. Just as I was thinking “I bet this would sound great with some drums”, in come the drums and it just gets bigger from there when the electric guitar joins in too. I might have reduced the crashing cymbal on the beat that occurs frequently from about halfway through, but that is very much personal preference territory. This is very much in the category of ‘good song, delivered well’.

thanks, brain: The start is really nice and the song immediately sounds great - everything where I’d want it to be mix-wise. The lyrics are great and the vocals are delivered really well. The details in the harmonies are lovely. The solo from about 2m30s to the end is great – I like the way it has a slow, dreamy vibe. My only itch with it was the drum beat in the chorus, where it gets a bit funky drummer-ish; just kinda broke the mood for me. I can see why you’d want to switch it up for the chorus, but I would have liked something with a straighter kick/snare pattern, maybe with some variety introduced via toms or cymbals. But again, this is personal preference territory!

JW Hanberry: I had to listen to this quite a few times to properly grasp it all; it’s three distinct parts that do work together, but it took me a while to get there. I kept flipping between the two choruses – are they the same or does the first have more guitar in it? I couldn’t quite figure it out. I think it’s quite a bold move to go with a complex song in a competition. Or maybe I have a very simple brain! Once I’d got my head round it, I liked it – particularly the overture section and the spoken verses/sung choruses which work well - but it took a good few listens to get there.

Cavedwellers: Great guitar sound right from the off. Drums sound very natural – not sure if they’re programmed or played. If programmed, it’s done well – sounds like a drummer. Verses and pre-chorus work really well, and the low key chorus suits the song. I’m all for songs about cricket, particularly when we get some good detail on hints on the art of swing bowling.

chewmeupspitmeout: What a very dark tale… The musical setting and vocal delivery really suit the macabre subject – quite haunting - and combining your three style choices works well. I really like the last section – that gnarly guitar and the spoken vocal are an effective combination. No other notes from me.

Brother Baker feat. Father: A really full-on, in your face mix – really slams. Just out of curiosity, I ran it through Audacity to look at the waveform and it’s pretty solid, which matches what I can hear. I like it well enough, but what I really wanted more of was those held vocal notes at the end of lines that ran into the next lines – examples would be on “shriek” and then on “energy” both in the first verse – and they don’t happen again to the same extent. I really, really loved those and wanted more of them. Not every note, I’m not greedy, but it was a brilliant way of linking sections in a really interesting and musical way and you could totally have made more of that idea.

The Alleviators: This is really very nice and the vocals work well together, though they do trigger a niche dislike on my part – one vocal echoing the other by repeating the same line with the same melody. I don’t know why I don’t like it, but every time it happens I just want it to stop. When singing harmonies, the voices are superb – really well-matched and complementary - when one takes the lead, again, lovely. Both of them. It’s just that repetition. I’m sorry. You probably really like that bit, and I’m happy to accept that I’m the only person with this pet dislike. Sorry.

Simon Purchase James: First up, before hitting play, the length of the song jumps out - it’s over a minute longer than the next longest. When I see a song that’s almost six and a half minutes long, my first thought is that it better be bloody amazing to justify that duration, particularly in a competition context. So, press play – is it worth it? It’s good – a great lyric/message that’s nicely sung/played. I wasn’t sure if the airport setting was genuine or created for the song – it’s very clean for a field recording, but it’s not impossible it was done in an airport. For me though, and again this is entirely subjective, I would have chopped it when the guard interrupted at the four minute mark. I’m not sure there was enough for me in the last two and a half minutes to justify a six and a half minute song.

‘Buckethat’ Bobby Matheson: This has an absolute gem of a chorus, which from the vocal/clapping coda at the end, suggests that you know it’s a cracker. The verses are fine, no, better than fine as that sounds dismissive and I don’t mean it to be, they’re good. But this is all about the chorus, which is brilliantly simple and singalong-able.

Jealous Brother: the chord change into the “blown chances” line is really nice – don’t know what that change is – I’d normally pick up a guitar to work it out, but I can’t with a broken wrist. It’s really nice though and the vocal melody is particularly nice over it. The rhythm guitars parts are really good throughout – particularly between verses. I’m less of a fan of the lead guitar lines that punctuate the lines. For someone that’s played the guitar for a lot of years, I find that I’m fairly intolerant of widdly guitar parts. They don’t do enough for me to justify their presence. I mean this in general rather specifically in this song, though they took up too much space here for my taste.

Also In Blue: This is so smooth. Well-produced, great mix, musically engaging, lyrically interesting, and vocally spot on. Pretty much has it all sewn up. I would have liked you to let rip a little more at the end, but it’s a tiny nitpick and would probably make it worse, so best not take any notes from me.

Phantom Woes: Cool concept for a song. I think the song is very well done, with some great dramatic flourishes and instrumental interest, but I found the mix quite dense and it was difficult to get any sense of separation between instruments and voices, until the higher register voice came in and that cut through better. Think it might be too many instruments and sounds competing for the same frequencies for my ears to pick it apart.

Ominous Ride: It’s a glorious moment when the drums kick in at the end of the first four lines – it comes across as epic late 80s goth, which is a place I’m always happy to go! The chorus is great – I love the rhythm of the words, the melody is delightfully catchy and the guitars and drums are epic. I would have liked the guitars and drums to be a touch bigger to balance the vocal a little. Totally dig the vocal echoes or repeats in the chorus (like on “fear”).

Jocko Homomorphism: This is musically and lyrically so far outside my zone, that I don’t know that I have anything useful to say. Stories of Bilboes, dragons, elves, knights, rings and that kind of thing just do nothing for me. I’ve tried things like The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings a few times, but I just found them dull. Popular culture would suggest that I’m very much in a minority in holding this view. The music here’s cool - I certainly get the sense of drippy cave - but I find it hard to get beyond the words, which is on me; that’s my failing. The vocal melodies are very strong and feel quite theatrical. The panning shifts give the impression of different narrators, but I found it distracting. I liked the sphinx-y interjections.

Night Sky: A nice jazzy feel to this, and a cool lyrical concept. I like how ‘Janus lies’ sounds very close to ‘jealous lies’. The horns create a lovely moment when they come in.

Ironbark: This has all sorts of charm. It has a naïve feel that I find really easy on the ear; the percussion’s great, the simple organ part creates a lovely bed for the vocal to lie in, and that vocal is brilliant. Some subtle harmonies/doubling lift it in all the right places , and the melody in the “I’m mister opportunity” section is super; I wanted that to happen again and again. This is among my favourites this round.

Tenmere: I have limited knowledge or experience with this kind music; I have pet hates against double bass drum pedals (my son's a drummer, and I dictatorially insisted he learn with a single pedal so his bass drum foot was as good as it could be, before learning with a double - his right foot is now very good, but I'm a very bad father!) and chugga chugga guitar noises, but it seems unfair to fall back into my own biases and apply them here. This is all very well done - vocals are strong and the music's well played and keeps it interesting, and it’s nice to hear something beyond the norm - but not sure I can say anything that would be relevant or useful to you. Sorry.

Menage a Tune: Kudos to you for dealing with the challenges and getting it done! Vocal sounds great and I love that you’ve gone a cappella with it. It’s got a good tune and I like the lyrics. The laugh at the thought of killing someone with the button made me laugh too!

Jerkatorium: Good driving start – love the sound of the rhythm guitar, it has a metallic edge that I love. Solid lyrics and vocally well-delivered. The way the guitar follows the vocal melody in the first couple of lines in the chorus sounds good. Enjoyed it.

Good Niche Gracious: There’s a real sense of tension and drama here, over a snowball fight. Unless that’s a metaphor for something else, which it might be. The chorus is really nice – the bouncy synth works really well with the harmonised vocals. Those harmonies step up to another level on the last chorus. I would have liked a bit more heft or weight to the music to back up those vocal harmonies, but I don’t know how you’d achieve that without losing some of that bouncy charm.

Mandibles: Another cool concept for a song. Great vocals and harmonies and I really like the chorus melody. Guitars have a nice tone them, but drums could do with being bigger and thumpier. The guitar solo kinda lost me, but if you’ve read through all of the above, you’ll have spotted in there that perhaps oddly for someone that’s played guitar for longer than he cares to say out loud, I really don’t like widdly guitars. Personal preferences apply!

Weiner [Shadow]: This is all kinds of bleepy and bloopy, but it hangs together and works in a kinda wonky way. The bass and vocal tie it together nicely.

Hutch [Shadow]: Some nice moments in here, but melodically I would’ve liked it to make fewer leaps up and down in each line, kinda smooth out those melodic trajectories a bit.

[The Popped Hearts]

First time spintuneser (thanks crumpet/crumpart!) and what an enthusiastic & supportive bunch it is - the reviewers really doing yeoman's work on a big batch of fun songs

The Popped Hearts- Drum machine blues. I’d kill for some live drums on this one. Guitars are too quiet too, especially with that delicious distortion. Turn it up! The backing vocals are great! Maybe it’s your band name, but this reminds me of the Exploding Hearts. Is that on purpose? Yeah, I want the production to sound like the song Modern Kicks. Good song! This would be fun to cover also. 2;17 is the perfect length for this! Good job!

I wish I had the drum/engineering skills to play/record those drums live! If I had more time I would have at least tried to "humanize" them a bit. And I will try a mix with the guitars more prominent - I hear where you are coming from - I am only slightly better at mixing than I am at drumming. And the band name is a bad pun based on my favorite junk food toaster pastry (which I recently learned is banned in the EU/UK because of all the chemicals! good stuff) and not the Exploding Hearts, of whom I was previously unaware. I listened to Guitar Romantic front to back yesterday and wow, yeah, I would love to sound like that. I wondered why they only had one album.... and then found out, jeez what a heartbreaker.

The Popped Hearts: Punky vibes and a great name. Big fan of the doubled vocals with one a bit more shouty – it’s really effective. For some reason, this feels like quite an Irish punk song – got a kinda Stiff Little Fingers or Fontaines D.C. feel, and the singer has a slight Irish twang (though I may be imagining that). I wanted the drums to be a bit more dynamic, because everything else about this absolutely pops and the drums are a touch flat to my ear. Other than that minor (and entirely subjective) quibble, this is great.

Resolved to improve my drumming or at least drum programming/mixing. If you are hearing a twang it is from the banks of the Ohio not the Liffey, but Fontaines D.C. was my first post-pandemic live show last fall so they are definitely an influence.

Thanks to you both for the kind words and useful feedback!

[glennny]

Opportunity Knocks (Part 2: 18 more reviews)

Also in Blue- This is great! Cool lyrics! Excellent vocals and harmonies. Wonderful dynamics. This is a contender. Great pop song, I love the bridge. As the ST17 winner, one expects awesomeness, and you deliver. Great job! See you in round 2.

The Alleviators- This is the wrong song to follow Brother Baker. It feels too slow. I liked your vocals better in the Governing Dynamics song. I think the female vocals should’ve taken the lead on this one. It’s a pretty ballad. It’s good. Are the drums too busy for this?

Brother Baker feat. Father- Rawk! It kinda sounds like Rob Halford guest vocals in Blink 182. I hear some sweet tapping solo buried in the closing. I would’ve loved a shredding solo. I want more. Awesome! See you in Round 2.

“BucketHat” Bobby Matheson- Hey, somebody is playing electric guitar in the studio next door. Acoustic and synth bass sound good. I’m not sure about the doubled (tripled?) vocals all of the time. The vocals are good and crisp and may win for the easiest to understand. The song is good, nice chorus. The electric guitar so subdued in the mix is a little annoying. I like when the other vocals do harmonies. Good song!

Cavedwellers- I wrote and recorded the music. Truth wrote the lyrics, vocals, and melody. Once the vocals were in place I added the pad in the chorus and a slide solo. I’m quite pleased with how it turned out. I hope you all enjoy it. BTW, who wants to play VR Cricket on Oculus?

Chew Me Up, Spit Me Out- How many times must we hear these cautionary tales? When will we all learn not to make a deal with the devil? This is good storytelling.I enjoy the twilight zone fable of it all. The spoken ending reminds me of Iron Maiden: “ One by one by the star dogged moon……”. I get the slow bpm, I get the moody aspect of it, but it drags a little. I wonder if it could be edited down to 3:30. Enjoyable listen!

Jealous Brother- Here’s a good mix! Nice and loud track! Drums, acoustic, bass, and vocals all sound great. The chorus is a bit of a letdown as far as catchiness goes. Verses are strong. I especially love the guitar noodling question and answer in the 2nd verse. Great lead guitar! I would have bumped up the volume on it for the solo. This is a solid song. See you in round 2.

Loren Kiyoshi Dempster- Too long. So mean, 47 entries, might have been 60, and you turn in 5:20. I really enjoy the horns. Why no drums? Atrocity or verbosity. That said, the vocals are alive. This sounds like a lyrics came first song. You’re selling the story. I’m forcing myself to finish the song. An edit would make this stronger.

The Dutch Widows- There’s a missed opportunity here in the vocals. The soft low register is great, but I kept yearning for you to start belting it out in the chorus. The mix is great! Lots of good sounds to enjoy. I just wish the lead vocals took another approach for half of the song. Note: what I just complained about in the vocal delivery, is exactly what my girlfriend loves about your song. This was among her favorites.

Governing Dynamics- Now here’s some mean bass! I’m loving the production! The drums sound great! I don’t think I like the guitar guide vocal in the chorus, but all of these other choices are tasty! Nice vocal performance! Cool song! See you in Round 2

JW Hanberry-You have an overture! This song is bananas. I’m enjoying it. It’s like a synth version of the Belew King Crimson, somewhere between Thela Hun Ginjeet and Waiting Man. That’s quite a journey in 3:40

Phantom Woes- Nice orchestration! Is that a baritone sax? Excellent dynamics, it gets quiet, it gets loud. Interesting song. Vocals are great, but it sounds like the vocalists need to rehearse a bit more to come together timing-wise at the end. Drama!

Roddy- GnP. There’s really not enough GnP. One can’t help being reminded of Randy Newman. Meta song violation. What are the current sanctions for Meta Song Violations? I enjoy the piano playing, feels very live. How many takes? I’m not a fan of the lyrics. This does not overstay its welcome. I’m curious what you’ll do next.

Simon Purchases James- I could’ve done without the intro. I love your voice! You could nail a Damien Rice cover. It’s GnG, but it’s excellent. I love the listen and the liveness for one listen. For repeated listens, 6:22 is too long. I’m loving your vocals and your playing. I’m hoping you survive, the only reason I worry is the length. This is one of my favorites, it heavily evokes my love for Damien Rice. What’s next?

Thanks, Brain- Great melody! Great production! This is another favorite of the fight (may i call this collection of songs a fight?). Catchy chorus! The drums sound great! Dreamy guitars are a nice backdrop for the vocals! This is awesome! Bridge is perfect, and a much-needed tonal shift. Shoegaze fade out, sweet! See you in round 2.

Yeslessness- I’m digging the quirky backing music. I don’t find the chorus very catchy, but it grows on me. This is fun. This is a good length. I’m excited for your next song.

James Young- Solid song! Nice solo! Great dynamics! I don’t get the lyrics, but the vocal performance is great! Good stuff!

[DutchWidows]

The Dutch Widows- There’s a missed opportunity here in the vocals. The soft low register is great, but I kept yearning for you to start belting it out in the chorus. The mix is great! Lots of good sounds to enjoy. I just wish the lead vocals took another approach for half of the song. Note: what I just complained about in the vocal delivery, is exactly what my girlfriend loves about your song. This was among her favorites.

I hear that, but I wanted to keep it understated. It's a sort of lament for a missed moment so 'quiet regret' was the aim. Plus my vocal skills are too limited to hit a belted vocal without sounding angry and that would have undercut my intent. My main conclusion here is that your girlfriend has excellent taste!

If my partner is reading any of this (she is the same person as 'my wife' in the song) - I do not actually regret that decision - it was the best decision I could have made, darling.

[joysitler]

My take on ST20R1. Of course I am just one person with plenty of personal biases, so please take it all with a grain of salt.

1. Berni Armstrong- It Will Come in Handy One Day
1. This is a cute and clever song- a nice little story with a punchline, fitting accompaniment, and production that serves the song well. I envy this kind of narrative ability- I’ve never been great at it myself, but I always appreciate and respect it.
2. Bubba and the Ghost of the Kraken- Knock Knock Knock
1. This is catchy and well produced. It takes the cliché and really runs with it. The style feels a little dated but it serves the songs purpose.
3. Daniel Sitler- Sunshine
1. This is my entry and I will not be reviewing it.
4. The Pannacotta Army- Never Look Back.
1. Good Gods I love the arrangement on this track. If you couldn’t tell by my entry I’m an absolute sucker for anything chamber-pop adjacent. My only complaint is that the main thing I remember from this song is textures- I don’t leave remembering words or melodies. But perhaps that says more about me as a listener than the song itself.
5. Balance Lost- A Temporary Window
1. These guitars sound so shiny. The music sounds like something Peter Buck would write. The riffs are catchy- the vocals are a little more subdued but that doesn’t bother me here. Nice work.
6. The Single Pint of Failure- Don’t Believe in Hope
1. This song rocks. The hook in the chorus is everything for me, and everything else serves that hook beautifully. Amazing vocal performance, great production, wonderful song in general.
7. Weiner- Play your hand
1. I so desperately wish you had incorporated some of the material from your shadow in this song, or just used the shadow itself. Both of these songs paint the picture of a card game, but I feel like seven card stud painted a clearer picture. I also found seven card stud catchier.
8. Sober- Things You Can’t Unsay
1. Wow, that opening line just grabs you by the collar and the rest of the song takes you all the way to the finish line. Killer playing, crisp production, and a terribly clever angle on the prompt. This is exactly what I have come to expect from Sober.
9. Tunes By LJ- Draw the Line
1. It’s a nice funky little tune. I wish you had made it longer and repeated some more of your vocal melodies. The material would be catchy but the lack of repetition makes it hard to grasp that.
10. Stacking Theory- Make it Great
1. The vocal interludes with the scatting bring me immense joy. Love the vibes.
11. Hot Pink Halo- Op Shop
1. As an American it seems like I usually need some context for HPH songs but it’s always worth it to ask the questions- this song has a great chorus and the rest of it supports that and honestly, that’s my preferred formula for a great song.
12. Jeff Walker- Try Again
1. Lovely sound, lovely writing, fits inside the genre like a glove. Great work, no notes.
13. The Evil Genius Formerly Known as Timmy- Monkey Videos
1. I try not to comment on mixes too much due to my own shortcomings in this area, but the vocals in this one are too hot for my liking- I find them really abrasive here. I’m also finding some intonation issues in the vocals a little bit of pitch correction software would go a really long way, particularly in the beginning of the verses and in the harmonies on the choruses.
14. Huge Shark- Edge of a Knife
1. These vocals are incredible. The production complements them perfectly. You tell a great story. Chorus is simple but it’s gonna be stuck in my head at work today.
15. Useless Sapphic- Profestriga
1. I contributed upright bass and some advice to this track. I will not be reviewing this.
16. Mandrake- Supernova
1. The vocal performance could use some work- opening up on those vowels and projecting a little more would go a long way. Not sure, but you might also be using a filter of some kind that’s mellowing out your voice- taking that off as the track picks up, or just boosting some of your high end at that point, would really help open things up. I know I just spent all that time griping about your vocals but make no mistake, this track is totally stellar. Amazing production, very showy in a good way. Nothing about it is catchy but that’s not what this is about. I’m really excited to hear what you do next.
17. The Practitioners- Heaven
1. This is a really great hiphop track with lots of lyrical hooks and shiny clean production. I love everything about it, no notes.
18. The Popped Hearts- Never Miss A Chance To Miss A Chance
1. Great little punk track. OOH KEY CHANGE- didn’t notice that on my first listen- and that’s a good thing! Cool.
19. Phlub- 2023 Valley Motors Tesla Cybertruck Promo
1. I hate to say this but the joke gets old for me on this one real quick. Make no mistake, this is really well done but I’m really picky about my humor and this just doesn’t do it for me. [EDIT- Please see my review of Siebass’ track.]
20. Susan Veit Hessin- Go My Own Way
1. A beautiful, albeit simple, song. Very pretty voice.
21. Siebass- Just Go Away
1. Ugh I know this is supposed to be funny but I’m just not laughing and I’m starting to think it’s not your fault. Maybe I’m just depressed. Humor aside this is super well produced and I get it even though it’s not resonating with me. Nicely done, sorry I’m a Debbie Downer.
22. The Dutch Widows- Just The White Wine?
1. Are you a Peter Murphy fan at all? I’m getting some of that vibe. Kind of a double edged sword where it kind of causes you to zone out due to the vocal register and atmospheric quality. I think it’s generally a good thing that serves the song well but it has some interesting implications in a contest setting- do I really want to zone out while I’m listening to something that’s trying to compete with other songs? I’m not sure. All that said. You may have my favorite chorus lyric of the round. “Magic things happen when stories and saints are aligned/Was it destiny calling to us, or just the white wine?”
23. Loren Kiyoshi Dempster- Land of Opportunity
1. This one feels just a little sloppily performed. The vocals in particular could use some more takes- not all of the rhythms land quite right and there are parts where the breaths feel like they’re in the wrong places. That’s my only complaint- Otherwise the lyrics are great, the music is great- are those horns live? They sound fantastic. And I love the inflection on the choruses. I also love generally the tones you’re using on the vocals. You get loud, quiet, whispery, etc. in all the right places. Again, I think timing needs some work in some places.
24. Roddy- Piano Opportunity
1. Look, I’m a sucker for Tom Waits, and I don’t mind Randy Newman thrown in for good measure. Production could use some work but the idea of an MLM for piano players has me tickled pink. Very fun.
25. Governing Dynamics- To the Moon
1. I fucking love this. I would commit a minor crime to get an electric bass sound like this. This could totally be an Interpol song in an alternate reality- reminds me of Evil, but uptempo with more aggressive vocals. Great job.
26. Yeslessness- My Secret
1. This is just too creepy for me.
27. James Young- What Can I Do?
1. Love the build. Vocal performance is great. Solid work, no notes.
28. thanks, brain- Looking Down
1. Production serves the narrative really well on this one. Love the “looking down” lyric in a shoe gaze track- but also these lyrics are super relatable and open to interpretation, as I saw discussed in the discord. But these are the kind of relatable where everything is general enough that it can kind of take on whatever flavor of emotion the listener feels. Chills, honestly. “Would one more taste be all that bad?”
29. JW Hanberry- Opportunity Knockin’
1. Bowie vibes at the beginning and then it takes you somewhere else entirely. Gods, I love the beat in the verse. If I listen to any one part of this by itself it feels dated, but the complete package feels timeless to me.
30. Cavedwellers- The Last Gasp of an Empire (The Amateur Draft)
1. Nice guitar solo, but otherwise the form feels very same-y. Hard for me to tell where the verses end and the choruses begin- would have liked some dynamic contrast, and perhaps a prechorus. This doesn’t leave much of an impression on me.
31. chewmeupspitmeout- Never Die
1. Spaghetti western goth? Cool vibe. Feels like it slightly overstays its welcome, particularly around the second verse, but I don’t know how I would go about trimming it down if it were me. This is a complaint I feel with my own work pretty frequently where rhyme schemes pigeonhole me into longer songs than I want to make. The outro is cool as hell but then the fadeout feels like a copout- I so desperately want to hear a “stinger” ending with one or two aggressive guitar stabs. Although there’s a couple things I would have done, or wanted to do, differently, I dig what’s going on here and I think you’ve told your story well.
32. Brother Baker feat. Father- The Sloth
1. “Is it worth the energy?” YES! YES IT IS. This is so fun and so well done. The screamed section feels weird vis a vis syllable emphasis and rhythm- would have probably worked that differently if I had a part of it. But there’s a lot to love here. Great job!
33. The Alleviators- Hit the Ground Stumbling
1. Damn, these are some pretty sounds and some heartwrenching lyrics. I wasn’t kidding at the listening party when I said I was crying in a laundromat. “I should have learned to read these stars” gets me every time. The organ provides the perfect blanket for everything else, and then when you pull it away in the second verse it feels like a move in a hopeful direction. And the voices work so beautifully together. If I were a judge this one very well might be my winner.
34. Simon Purchase James- Voices Fill The Air
1. ;laksdjf;laksjdf;laskdj This is the biggest flex I have ever heard on Spintunes and I have listened to a fair amount of backlog by now. The field recording aspect somehow makes it better rather than worse. Reminds me of a La Blogotheque Takeaway show, just without the visual element. I keep coming back to this thinking I’ll find something off but it just doesn’t happen. Timely, yet timeless lyrics.
35. “BucketHat” Bobby Matheson- Knockin’ on wood
1. The mix is distracting to me on this one. Vocals feel too hot and overall level feels quiet. Mix aside- this is catchy! Nice little song, just wish the production served the writing a little better.
36. Jealous Brother- Missed Calls
1. I like the guitar riff that punctuates the verses. The first verse feels a little too “lyric/pause/lyric/pause” to me- You remedy this in the second verse with the lead guitar filling in the call and response. Nice production/mix. I don’t have much else to say about this one, feels kinda samey throughout.
37. Also In Blue- Miss Opportunity
1. Shiny. Great chorus. I have exactly one note, and it’s the smallest nitpick ever- The opening guitar melody is just a little hot for my liking. But it’s also hot. Like, very catchy and very well played. Ha. Fantastic work.
38. Phantom Woes- New Woman, New Cry
1. Holy Saxophone, Batman! This feels like something I would have tried to write when I was younger and utterly failed at. I feel like it needs to have louder drums under the parts with the low Bari- Just a little more oomph in those sections and I’m sold on this.
39. Ominous Ride- The Deal
1. Hey look it’s a good chorus that’s well framed, so you know I like this. The recorder is clever and effective but perhaps a little too frequent for my liking. Ending is perfect. Nice work.
40. Jocko Homomorphism- The Captive Sphinx
1. As always, wonderful synth work. I could listen to the atmospheric stuff in the background all day. The use of panning on the vocals is kinda distracting. Not suggesting you change the lyric, but the plural of Sphinx is Sphinges (I play way too much Magic: The Gathering). Your cadence is a little singsongy, and I feel like I’ve heard you use it before on Eigengrau? Same rhythm, effectively- one bar of heavy quarter note emphasis, one bar of rest. I’d like to hear some more variety. You have a lot of strong stuff in here, despite what I would personally change. Nice work.
41. Night Sky- Janus Lies
1. This is nicely produced but I’m a little bored with the song. Maybe it’s a little bit of listening fatigue, as I am giving these a listen in order. I’m loving the saxophones that come in. The backing vocals are cool too. Okay I’m sold, but it took me a sec. Do with this information what you will.
42. Ironbark- Privilege
1. This is so cute. Great story, and you tell it well. And the ending! Lovely, lovely stuff.
43. Temnere- Sands of Time
1. Yep this sure is the Temnere I know and love. A common issue I have with your music is that I wish the overall volume was louder, and this is no exception. But you have wonderful writing, you’re very skilled with what you’re doing and I have a lot of respect for it.
44. Menage a Tune- Push It
1. The production makes this a tough listen for me. I’m not bothered by the a cappella approach by itself, but the recording quality (I hear what sounds like wind noise?) and the inconsisteny and indefinite pauses between phrases make it hard for me to follow the rhythmic feel. I feel like with a better recording and some more deliberate choices made between phrases, I would be able to follow this a little better.
45. Jerkatorium- Opportunity
1. Something about the syllabic emphasis in the chorus is especially abrasive to me. The last syllable in opportunity (and vulnerability) is the most emphasized and that greatly bothers me. Otherwise the song feels pretty same-y to me. Not a lot of dynamic or instrumentation contrast.
46. Good Niche Gracious- Cold War Master
1. The mix is really distracting on this one- vocals feel pasted on which is a damn shame- Cybronica has a wonderful voice and I hate to hear it just thrown on top of a mix like this. I love the narrative-very cute- but I’m a little hyper fixated on the production.
47. Mandibles- Time Machine
1. This feels classic. Great job, no notes.

[Sober]

Here we go! Listening on the same headphones I mix with. All told, I think I spent about 7 hours writing these up, which is probably something I should see a therapist about.

Berni Armstrong: Upon first listen, I was put off by the low-string-tension-induced wonky tuning. By the end of that first listen, and again now, it's all just so goddamn charming. I can't really ask for more here - it's competently recorded in a good-sounding space, and getting crazy with production wouldn't add anything of value. I'm reminded of some of the funny tunes that Gaelic Storm do. Lovely, and almost certain to be covered at the end of all this.

Bubba & The Ghost of the Kraken: Kazoo intro is fun. This is reminiscent of something Good technique with the pan expansion on the chorus. Bass feels ever so slightly staccato - many of the hits feel like they ought to sustain until the snare hit cuts it off. Could also be compressed more, or ride the fader, as it drops here and there, particularly on the chorus. Solid effort.

Daniel Sitler: Something about this evokes Undertale for me. Not sure I love the tuning clash between the piano and the strings, and the rhythmic misses in the piano. Great job building to that chorus. It does feel throughout that we lose the pulse - when it's there, it's awesome. Time correction would pull this together and make it punch like crazy. Great work.

The Pannacotta Army: Vocals feel slightly up front before the drums come in. Maybe automate a bit to keep the sense of balance that you have once the beat comes in. The arrangement is lovely - so much cool stuff happening that all supports your voice. The synth line in the right channel feels a bit naked when it hits its monophonic notes. Lovely.

Balance Lost: This feels like... maybe Deathcab? If Ben Gibbard's voice was on this, I'd just be like "oh he's back in his 80's pop groove." You do a great job weaving guitars and synths and voice in and out, and your panning/space work is impressive. That ending tutti riff is super fun, would love to hear more moments like that.

The Single Pint of Failure: The III against IV resolving to the I is really cool. I'm sure you've gotten the Mike Ness comparison before. Your voice is awesome - would love to hear a lighter touch on the tuning (I have similar difficulties). Band sounds great - everything sits well, though the vocals might be a bit hot. The doubled vocals being panned and otherwise treated the same as the lead has them fighting at times, especially when the tuning has them pushing against each other. Might be fun to try an oi-style gang vocal on the chorus. Well-executed for the genre overall; would have had this on my skate mix in high school for sure.

Weiner: It's tough working with 100% virtual instruments. I feel like you might as well lean into that, and embrace some instruments that don't call attention to their lack of organic touch. The bass programming is fun, but feels a bit high in the mix. The vocal is a bit buried. There are so many interesting sounds and melodic ideas here - would love to hear you working with some different tools.

Sober: With the move from Texas to Maine, building my studio with my own hands, and rehabbing our 1830's house, this is the first song I've recorded in over a year. Felt great to knock the rust off, though I definitely have some adjustments to make. My tuning is painfully obvious to me. I lazily slapped my last presets on, not accounting for the different microphones and space I'm working in now. I'll try to be better next time. I will say I'm happy with my guitar and mandolin work - the major breaks for each are only comped from two takes (not that I only did two takes, just that it didn't require note-by-note surgery). Playing a ton of jams has paid off for sure.

Tunes by LJ: Love this groove. The push is so satisfying and evocative. The bass sound and the work you put into programming little details in is Feels like we get a tiny plosive punch on "opportunity." Quadruple points for a short song in this field.

Stacking Theory: Another fun bass patch. Lots of fun effects bouncing around. You do a good job walking the ringmod line - can quickly become obnoxious, but you give us just enough. Vocal tuning is a bit strong at times. The guitar break feels a bit out of place until the vocal wash comes in. Goddamn that vocal out is just amazing. You could build a whole song off that. Reminds me a bit of the melodica line in that Gorillaz tune. Very fun.

Hot Pink Halo: You have a sense of hook writing that I wish I had. Bass and drums get a bit lost in the back - wish they were as well-defined in the mix as that guitar. The final chorus is a satisfying wash with everything coming together. Fun!

Jeff Walker: The name had me hoping Jerry Jeff was still alive, the intro had me thinking I was getting Marc Broussard, and the full song is giving me golden age country vocals over a mix of Willie Nelson and maybe Caribbean country? I'm a native Texan, but I admit I have some blind spots in my country history. The accordion is tasteful, as is the nylon guitar. Love the pedal steel-style swells with the electric. If I were producing you, I'd push you to give me as much grit as you can. It seems you're sometimes trying to deliver a really clean, "good" performance. There are thousands of singers who can sing a song like this "better" than you - only you can sing it like you, so stop trying to sing well and just put your whole chest into it. Anyway, that's what I'd say, but this is the authentic you, and that's why I'm not a bigtime record producer. Anyway, I am always happy to hear country 'round these parts, and you clearly know what you're doing. Looking forward to hearing more.

The Evil Genius formerly known as Timmy: This feels like classic SongFight. Mix lacks punch, and synths feel pretty stock. Vocals and guitars rush frequently. Chorus is fun and hooky in a Flight of the Conchords kind of way. Put in some mix study/practice time, and you'll be kicking ass.

Huge Shark: Backing track has flashes of wonderful retro chiptune vibes. Your voice has a striking quality to it, I'm reminded of the way Vashti Bunyan's voice makes me feel, even though I don't think you necessarily sound alike. Are you playing the bass in by hand? It frequently feels like it's anticipating the beat a bit. Would love to hear this arranged sparsely, with perhaps just piano or guitar. Looking forward to hearing more

Profestriga: Like the groove once it gets going. You put a lot of spin on "fucking" in a way that reminds me of the way Marcus Mumford does. There was a funny tweet saying that the way he says it feels sus, like it's a giveaway that he's a narc or something. Anyway, whatever. You can just swear and it'll stand on its own merit. The triplet feel is fun, and the times where you briefly duple and otherwise play with the beat is nice. Generally speaking, I am not a person who notices lyrics until my 40th listen. However, some things jumped out at me. I read your lyrics and song bio, and perhaps a lot of this is beyond my personal cultural experience to effectively parse, but suffice it to say that a casual listener to this will be missing a lot of important context that could lead them to think wrong things about where your heart is. We're all friends and creators trying to improve, so I give you the benefit of the doubt and simultaneously assume that I'm ignorant and wrong (always a safe bet). Track sounds great, performance is great.

Mandrake: Lots of interesting sounds here. Very mumblecore - would love to hear your vocal delivered with the same confidence and execution as your mix. Really interesting arrangement and form, I'm just not getting anything from the timid delivery. Also, trim your out-point to where we don't get a full 10 seconds of silence at the end of your track.

The Practitioners: Strong Spose vibes. Sample use is skillful, beat programming and attention to detail is killer. This might be the best execution of the genre I've heard around here since Frontalot. In the interest of providing something other than useless praise, it would be cool perhaps to tune the bass drum, give it some movement. Also, no bassline? Lots of opportunity to reinforce the groove and the harmonic environment there. Look forward to hearing more.

The Popped Hearts: The vocal feels like it's not in the same space as the guitars. My ears want to hear the switch from hihat to ride happen right when we get to the chorus, and not a few bars into it. Drums overall feel a bit busy in a midi kind of way, though the ending build is really satisfying and well done. A guitar solo and a key change in a song this short? Feels like you were showing off your arranging chops (which is fine!). It feels like you want to get down in the dirt, but I understand that's hard with the inherent sterility of virtual drums. Spending a little more time humanizing those, and sitting them back just a touch in the mix might lead you somewhere nice. Fun track!

Phlub: Oh Phlub You obviously had fun doing this, and it's fun to listen to. Try side-chain compressing the band while your lady (I'm assuming here) is speaking, and then boost and compress the hell out of her voice. Car commercial VO is the single most compressed genre of VO, with the possible exception of radio imaging. I'm gonna say something to you that I said to Pigfarmer Jr. years ago - you're having fun playing in the country space, but you have all of the ingredients you need to genuinely do it really well. Pls Phlub, give me country

Susan Veit Heslin: Great sounds. Is that a resonator? There's a midrange resonance that sounds unnatural for a standard acoustic. There's a liveness to the sound when it's just one voice and guitar. The harmonies break that illusion, not just because they're obviously the same voice, but because they're sitting right in the same spot in the mix. Using reverb and/or pan to push them back in the room could be effective. Would love to hear a stereo capture of that guitar, but the mono sound gives it an old school charm I suppose. Lovely track.

Siebass: There's something that grates on me with picking an "organic" patch like organ, and then doing things with it that are impossible on the real instrument. This is super fun, and your voice is well-suited to this. The bass sustain/dropout during the 3rd verse is a really nice change. Lots of great arrangement decisions all around, keeping things interesting. Fun!

The Dutch Widows: Feels like the drums could use a bit more programming work - like, the kick hits all seem to be the same velocity. Some variation to humanize a bit could help this breathe a bit more. The chorus progression is just wonderful. Love the sonic atmosphere these synths create, and there's a lot of charming detail happening. I feel like some really aggressive automation of your vocal could help to keep it in the pocket that you seem to find by the end of the track - early, it feels like the level peaks and drops off a bit at times. Enjoyable listen as always.

Loren Kyoshi Dempster: Piezo pickups always hurt my ears. Pretty narrow mix up til the too-delayed chorus. I don't know about that, uh, "drum" sound. Old, unseasoned bodhran with a dynamic on it? Obviously the chorus is where things come together really nicely. This is something I could hear some 90's swing band doing while Mormons lose their absolute shit. Others have commented on the length - I do feel that it takes a long time to get to the good stuff, and we don't get enough of it throughout the song. Like a really big salad with too few croutons. The croutons are really nice, though.

Roddy: Nice stereo sound on that piano. Compression on it is way squashy; piano is exceedingly susceptible to audible compression artefacts. I appreciate you not rolling off all your highs - I'd rather hear the hiss than a muddy mess. This is fun, and you could perhaps lean even more into the Newman-ity of it all. Get a handle on your use of compression, and perhaps of your eq situation so that you're not having to make that choice of hiss/mud, and you'll be in great shape.

Governing Dynamics: Great sense of space. Part of me really wants the guitar bit in the intro to stand out a little more - maybe by boosting it and cutting the reverb entirely just for that part? Anyway, the octave riff action has me feeling nostalgic. Vocal might need a touch more compression to help it sit with the mix a little better - there are times where it bounces up just a bit. Fun bridge, the panned bass is kinda retro there I guess. It might be fun to try a trick from, who else but CKY - double the lead vocal an octave lower, way back in the mix to be almost inaudible, but enough to fill it out just a bit. Or don't, because this sounds really great

Yeslessness: Nice, Cake-y groove. Feel like we're meandering a bit tonally - if you're having locking into the pitch, lean into the more spoken tone, 'cause that seems to work well. Hook is fun, though "someone else would try to control themselves" feels a bit crammed, and the harmonies all not perfectly being aligned with that rhythm calls further attention to it. Having the lyric simply be "someone else would control themselves" would alleviate that, and there would be a fun opportunity for a bit of a lift between "else" and "would" that could be nice and punchy. Nice track, reminds me of the more accessible Starfinger tunes.

James Young: Nice guitar sound, would love to hear everything a bit drier. Might be worth automating a little midrange out of it once the bass comes in. Great execution of the grunge sound overall - it does seem like you're singing a bit crisply and precise for the genre. Many of my notes for Jeff Walker apply here - you have a killer voice, and you ought to lean into it and not care so much about "sounding good." Guitar solo is perfect in terms of tone, melodic choices, and duration. These four minutes went by fast. Well done!

thanks, brain: Fun wash of sound. Easy note here: when you have harmonies on a long note, especially one that ends with a consonant, the harmonies either need to A: cut off without enunciating that closing consonant or B: sustain and cut off exactly with the lead vocal. "A" has been a choral technique since forever, and "B" is achieved easily enough for us home producers with time correction tools (I admit that I did not do this on my own track this round, so ). The way the harmonies weave in and out, and the panning work - all very nice and effective. Great sound to the kit, really love the attention to detail with ghost notes on snare and hihat. The bridge descending line is . Really great sounds all around.

JW Hanberry: Oof, lots of mouth noise. I appreciate that we're being off the wall Bowie here, and I'm not in the "eliminate breaths" camp, but the lip smacking as you prepare for some of these lines really ought to be trimmed. Really fun track, love how much variety there is here; how there's undeniably 80's elements put up against more modern sounds and techniques. Look forward to hearing more.

Cavedwellers: I love panning, but it feels like the only things dead center are the bass and drums. The split-double lead vocal thing isn't my personal favorite, but it's well-executed. When the center vocal comes in during the bridge, I'm made to feel much more comfortable, if that makes sense. Anyway, slide solo is great, and doesn't try to do anything it shouldn't (as slide solos frequently do). Really nice interplay between the bass and guitars on the chorus, nice and punchy. Great stuff from Cavedwellers as usual.

chewmeupspitmeout: I'm a sucker for tremolo guitar. Would love to hear it played with more drunken mojo, and more on the beat. Definitely feels like the vocal could use some perhaps-occasional hard tube burn. This has a very fun old Radiohead vibe. Could use more bass punch throughout. Love a... what is that, a 3-over-2 polyrhythm? Fun track, lots of cool sounds.

Brother Baker feat. Father: Really nice job getting the kick to punch through in such a full mix. Vocals seem slightly dry for this - a bit of tube burn on the "cleaner" vocal, and more aggressive compression on the gritty vocal. Excellent execution of the genre - all of the sounds are just right. Well done.

The Alleviators: Feels like this wants a different kick sound. This is a snappy, slappy sound, and I'd like to hear a round, focused low-end punch. Bass doesn't have much low end to it, which can be a nice to automate to for some moments, but we're lacking the foundational element that it should be providing through much of this. Some of the vocal lines sound a bit hesitant, and perhaps unsure of where to take breaths, etc. - A few more takes with confidence should solve this. Great sounds, and always nice to hear a well-executed duet.

Simon Purchase James: The intro had me hoping for a joke song. It's so hard to walk the line in a political song. I know there's an audience for overt messages, but I've always tended more toward subtlety and plausible deniability, perhaps because I am a giant coward. Anyway, you obviously have a great voice and know what you're doing. I'll say that if the conceit of this recording i.e. the ambient noise and interruption are fake, then this is cringe level 5000 . Anyway, I hope you got to where you were going, and I look forward to hearing you in a more controlled environment in round 2.

‘Buckethat’ Bobby Matheson: I'd back off the doubled/tripled vocal lines. It's a good technique, but it'll do the job you're wanting it to do when it's barely perceptible, with the bonus of not being distracting for the listener (moments of "which voice should I be paying attention to?"). This is nice, bouncy fun in a very Buckethat kind of way that I've come to look forward to. I do believe you've written a Barenaked Ladies song here, and that's just fine. The electric guitar feels a little out of place... you know you don't have to turn the gain knob up to 10, right?

Jealous Brother: Solid, straight-ahead garage rock. The lead guitar is fun, though at times seemingly out of place. Rather than having that back off though, I'd rather the rest of the band come up to that energy level. Overall nice execution of the sound.

Also In Blue: *CJ voice - Aw shit. Here we go again. Ok, I'm going to try to do more than just say "this good." So yeah: On the vocal, it sounds like there's some variation in proximity effect happening - like you're moving a lot during your takes. Or maybe the threshold on an aggressive compressor is set slightly off. Something happens right at 1:59 that sounds like a stumble on the snare, but I'm not a drummer and have terrible rhythm so . Ooh, and it seems like when you do your jump beat at ~3:06, you fooled yourself as much as the rest of us, as the bass preempts the downbeat by just a hair. I do feel like we could use a bit more rhythm section throughout - it'd be nice to hear the bass throughout at the same level as it is during the riff, and the drums are pretty far back in general. Maybe the mix is a little hot overall? Like you're pushing a limiter just a touch hard, maybe? Or I just have loudness envy. Masterclass of songwriting, arrangement, and structure as usual.

Phantom Woes: Classic songfight sound. Having a hard time really feeling a steady pulse - having some kind of element giving us a steady quarter or eighth note, even way way back in the mix, would be really helpful. I know a producer who will drop a simple 4-bar drum loop on 95% of tracks at like -60db, just to glue things together rhythmically. Great job building a big sound with those horns. Interesting how they're really dry, but your layering of them helps contribute to the big wet wall of sound. Cool!

Ominous Ride: A bit muddy overall. Like, yeah there's a lack of high end, but it really seems like we have a buildup of low-mids. I think scooping 100-400hz on nearly every instrument would really clear this mix up. Also probably a high pass on the vocal reverb. Love the Mandalorian slide sound, and the descending background vocal stuff. Would love to hear more impactful shifts when you go from section to section - System of a Down are masters of this. I think you should trust in your abilities, and peel back some of the reverb wash that's covering a lot of interesting nuance. Look forward to hearing more.

Jocko Homomorphism: That's quite an intro. Also long; 40 seconds in a 3 minute song. The hard pan jumps are jarring. It seems like you're going for a musical theater kind of presentation, and perhaps you're using panning to separate your character's inner monologue/asides from the rest of the storytelling? Modern musical theater doesn't tend to use hard panning to separate characters. That percussive click is very "iphone typing" . Great performance by Cybronica! Nice work creating a genuine cave-like atmosphere with all those synth sounds. Fun track!

Night Sky: Would love to hear the rhodes pushed back a little bit in the space via some room reverb. Lots of opportunities for noodling in between these vocal lines. As a hammond player, if I were in this band I don't think I could keep myself from doing some runs in those spaces. Horns are great as always. I do think panning them against the hammond instead of against the rhodes would have been my decision, as they're basically doing the same job as the hammond (texture, rather than rhythm). At 2:10, that downbeat feels delayed - does the drum fill rush, or am I feeling the pulse wrong? Anyway, you keep getting better and better.

Ironbark: As much as I love a good hammond sound, given the funny nature of this story and the delivery, I kind of want to hear the hammond swapped for something like a farfisa or starcaster (even turning the leslie amp modeling off + Chorus 3 on a hammond would have a similar effect). Likewise, I think a TR 606 (or cheaper!) drum sound could be fun. All that said, you've created a very fun Conchords-esque sound here, and there's some deceptively deep chord work here. Lovely outtro. Excited to hear more stuff from you.

Tenmere: Fuckin' Tenmere here we fuckin' go. Goddamn that gallop sounds great, and holy shit those string runs. I have A/B'ed this against The Trooper a dozen times, and the only thing I can come up with is that your voice sounds like it's coming up a bit thin, but not just in a normal eq way. It makes me think of the way a harmonic resonance plugin's telephone preset sounds, but at like 10% wet (and maybe it's 90% wet during the rainy bridge?). You know? Anyway, as a long-time fan of Iron Maiden and basically no other bands in the genre, I can't really provide a lot of valuable critique. Oh, the string patch, while fine in the fuller portions of the song, is a bit transparent as a virtual instrument in the bridge. Maybe let a clean guitar pick up that part? Whatever, this is fuckin' awesome. Tenmere rules.

Menage a Tune: Levels are peaking a bit, and we're getting a lot of plosives and mouth noise. Looking at the song bio, I can see you were away from home when you recorded this. Still, even if you're recording this into a phone or what have you, some adjustments to the microphone placement, etc. could help with a lot of this. Whether we know the limiting circumstances of the recording or not, it's pretty clear as a listener that this is intended to have instrumentation, and we feel the lack. Would love to hear you produce this up and share it with us!

Jerkatorium: Fun vibe as always. Audible tuning artefacts at times (I have them too). Cool progressions, really liking vi to flat VII thing (I used that too!). Solid execution - I feel like I'd be hard pressed to ID your songs vs anything by Paco Del Stinko. It sounds like y'all have fun doing this, and it comes through.

Good Niche Gracious: Enjoying how the bass pushes the swing. By the second verse, I'd identified where the lead line takes me. For what sounds like 100% virtual instruments, it seems like we're losing the pulse in a few spots. The switches between the swing and straight feel are fine, but within those sections, it feels like some elements aren't quite in the pocket. Overall, the mix could use a lot of punching up and separation of various elements. The vocal performance is very nice, and some good compression etc. would help it shine. Fun track!

Mandibles: Guitar and bass sound nice. Not a big fan of the piano sound - sounds mono and sterile compared to these really clean guitar sounds. Drums could likewise use a bit more attention programming-wise, to humanize and fit them into the broader performance a little better. Likewise, a little more work on the vocal would really make this. As it is, the guitars (particularly the big lead when it comes in) really outshine everything else due to their more aggressive, modern-sounding compression. If the vocal had that same level of punch in the mix, we'd have a totally different song here. Feels very much like the same deal as Jealous Brother's tune - bring everything else up to match the energy of that lead guitar, and we're golden.

Weiner [Shadow]: Feels like we have different tracks entirely playing against each other in the left and right channels. Left channel feels very Earthbound, and the right channel feels like different Earthbound. Vocal feels Starfinger. Now that I think of it, I guess I'm saying that all of this feels Starfinger.

Hutch [Shadow]: This is cozy. Classic songfight sound, charming in its own way.

_____

That was a lot of music. To me, I have to give best in show to Tenmere, with top marks to Also In Blue and The Practitioners.

[BoffoYux]

Dataset for Bandcamp streams of Round 1 songs - March 20- April 4

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