Nur Ein V Round Five "We Need To Talk"

[glennny]

Jon Eric

Always want to hear a solo. Solo = 0
Dandy work on the challenge, but didn’t respect the spacing of the words. Challenge= 8
Drums were rather poor, you gotta find a better drum machine. Drums = 2
The bass is not there. Theoretically a piano could fill that role. I barely hear it. Bass = 2
Have to give you props for the piano, you anti guitar strange dude. Piano = 6
Everyone knows you’re singing your ass off, but wow it’s pitchy. Vocals = 3
Basically good lyrics, no obvious cliche's, fits against the acrostic. Lyrics = 7
Again I think it would have been stronger to end the 1st time. Cut off all the La's. Structure = 5
Something about the mix is way off. I think lack of bass. vocals too loud. Mix =2
Still a good song, with good effort if not delivery. Je ne sais quoi = 4

Jon Eric scores 39


Milo Dunderville

Needs a solo desperately! What a great groove, why not let loose? Solo = 0
I think your acrostic is great! Respects the space and keeps the song structure! Challenge = 9
Cymbals, kick, snare, and hi-hat all sound really good. I dig the fills this time too. Drums = 8
Excellent bass line! Rhythm is rather the same through out, but solid and groovy! Bass = 8
Vocals are your strong suit. I'm rather jealous. Your voice is just awesome! Vocals =10
Organ sounds great! i like the lead guitar licks better than the distorted rhythm tone. Guitars/organ = 9
Certainly fine lyrics, but they seem forced by the the acrostic. Good but not great. Lyrics =6
A solid structure. Verse,Verse, Chorus, bridge, Chorus. Structure =6
Love the mix! Can't really complain about a thing. Mix = 10
Sorry about the Morse Code crack, it's a really catchy hook! Je ne sais quoi = 7

Milo scores 73

BLT

Digging the instrumental breakdown so much you get a pass on the solo. Solo = 8
I think you nailed the obvious treatment of the challenge. Challenge = 5
Really digging the drums for the most part. Kick could have more thump. Drums = 8
The bass is tasty and slutty. I especially like it in the breakdown. Bass = 8
You got a weird wetness on the guitar, I'm not liking alone, but like in the context of the band. Rhythm guitar = 7
Man you're a rock star! What you lack in melody you make up for in conviction. Vocals = 8
Of all the lyrics in this fight, these gentle, subtle turns of phrase, make me almost cry. Lyrics = 3
Uncompromising rock! You'd never convince me you lived anywhere other than Los Angeles. Structure = 10
The mix is fantastic, I guess I just want more kick. Ken had spoiled me. Mix = 9
Hot damn this is a solid rocker! Wish you spent more time on the lyrics. Je ne sais quoi= 7

BLT scores 73

Therman

Sweet solo! Totally fits, and brings to life this plodding rocker. Blazing licks! Solo = 10
Low marks on the challenge. Seems it got the best of you. Too bad, we had several to spare. Challenge = 1
Obviously the drums are awesome! Now I want a drum solo! Drums =10
With this tempo what is a bassist to do? Bass is solid and metal! Bass = 8
Really digging the band vibe you have going on. I hope it sticks! Rhythm guitars = 8
Octave hooks were great. I miss them. You're singing your ass off! I like but just don't love your voice. Vocals =7
C'mon is this about anything? I could love this song for years without reading the lyrics. Lyrics = 2
Keeping those vocal hooks for so late in the song, make them all the more delicious. Structure = 9
Everything sounds live and in one room. There's either excessive cymbals or distortion hiss white noise, small deal. Mix = 8
Reist this is great! Je ne sais quoi = 10

Therman scores 73


Minty Handy

Please hit me up for solos once we're not competing. Or get BLT to do it. Solo = 0
Love your acrostic, but I'm disappointed with LOL and the extra LH. You could've worked that out. Challenge = 9
Afraid I'm not digging the drums though I realize they are not the focal point. Drums = 5
You got the bass way low in the mix. I'd miss it if it wasn't there, but nothing special. Bass = 6
The electric Uke? Is solid as hell! Strumming tight! Rhythm Guitar/Uke = 8
Have to admit I'm totally into the serious Handy now! Is this serious? Goes on the TW3RP B-Side right? Vocals = 10
Excellent lyrics! You are often my favorite Song Fight lyricist, well told story with clever lines. Appropriate placed Fuck too! Lyrics = 10
Unless there's a solo, there is no 10. Structure = 9
Ken and Sam spoil me. This is a good mix, but could be better. I feel like I don't have the best seats for your set. Mix = 6
Enjoying this with every listen. Maybe too short. Je ne sais quoi = 10

Minty Handy scores 73

Chris Cogott

Sitar licks and guitar call and response is fantastic! Solo = 8
I think the challenge kicked your ass. Challenge = 2
Those drums are tight! i thought it was going to be Hip-Hop before everything else entered. Drums = 10
Awesome bass line! It sounds great and the movement is hypnotic. Bass = 10
Really wonderfully sounding song. What are all the instruments? Guitar/Sitar = 10
Really love the harmonies. Your voice sounds great! Vocals = 10
Understand I hate songs about songs. Lyrics = 1
Love the instrumental bits especially. It's like a dance song. Not a real ending. Structure = 5
Excellent mix! everything sounds near perfect! Mix = 10
Suppose I've come to expect more from you at this point. Sounds great, but just OK for you. Je ne sais quoi = 7

Chris Cogott scores 73

Boop Boop

Clearly I'm a fan of yours. The solo is very Vivian Campbell! Though I don't Sabbath nor Dio ever had guitarmonies. Solo = 10
An okay use of the challenge, but I see no connection between internet dating and Dio. Challenge = 5
Bad ass drums! There's sooo much Rock Power in this song! Drums = 8
Loving all the Dio allusions in the guitar lines. Rhythm Guitars = 10
Ever the front man, this is huge. I wish you'd back off on the echo a bit, you don't need so much. Vocals = 10
Basically the same story as Minty (as you noted). Minus points for "...ation" rhymes. Lyrics = 6
Entertained from beginning to end repeatedly. My favorite that I wasn't involved in. Structure = 10
A little loose, but the root eigth notes and huge slides are hilarious and tasty! Bass = 8
Could you please back off on the echo, it's a minor criticism. This takes me back to my 80's metal years. Well done! Mix = 8
Happy to listen to this for the next several years. (Cable beach still in heavy rotation, along with that album of yours) Je ne sais quoi = 10

Boop Boop scores 85


Berkeley Social Scene (I am not objective, I'm too close to it, of course I THINK it's perfect)

A solo where I lift the melody directly from the vocal? Tried my best to be "melodic", I'm proud of the solo composition. Solo = 10
We had no less than 5 people working together on a google doc. Erin, Ken and Jenn with the content, Martin and Glen curbing the structure. Lyrics = 10
Everybody needs to learn how to make their kick sound this good. Ken just rules! A band is only as good as the drummer. Drums =10
Sam busted out, vibes, rhythm guitar, Glock. He's just an awesome studio cat. Everything is played perfectly! Rhythm stuff = 10
Out of the gate Erin sounds like she really means it. Martin is reigned in and solid. they both really kicked ass on this performance! Vocals = 10
Much effort went into preserving the spaces in the acrostic phrase, having it relate to the lyrics, and keeping the lyrics meaningful. Challenge =10
Ending the song with mostly vocals was a brilliant idea, I think Kens idea. Structure = 10
Given the schedule this last week, Sam was actually the producer. Fantastic result. Lots of work, I'm wildly impressed! Mix = 10
The bass line is laid back and in the pocket with the drums. bass =10
Really loving this song! I love my band! hope it translates for everyone else. Je ne sais quoi = 10

BSS score 100 (but I can't objectively judge myself nor my band)

Great songs this week. No idea what will happen. Quality stuff at this juncture. I guess I'm worried for Jon Eric's performance, Therman's challenge, and Chris Cogotts lyrics. But all 3 of those have strong enough songs to survive. We'll see how the judges feel.

Good luck everyone!

[BenKrieger]

It's the fifth song on Dio's imaginary concept album about how online interaction cannot be a substitute for the liberating power of face-to-face communication, especially when the EYE is trying to control us!
Jeez...

[Chris Cogott]

Amazing reviews Glenny! If there's ever another time in my life when an acrostic is required of me, I'm hiring you.

[Billy's Little Trip]

BLT

Digging the instrumental breakdown so much you get a pass on the solo. Solo = 8
I think you nailed the obvious treatment of the challenge. Challenge = 5
Really digging the drums for the most part. Kick could have more thump. Drums = 8
The bass is tasty and slutty. I especially like it in the breakdown. Bass = 8
You got a weird wetness on the guitar, I'm not liking alone, but like in the context of the band. Rhythm guitar = 7
Man you're a rock star! What you lack in melody you make up for in conviction. Vocals = 8
Of all the lyrics in this fight, these gentle, subtle turns of phrase, make me almost cry. Lyrics = 3
Uncompromising rock! You'd never convince me you lived anywhere other than Los Angeles. Structure = 10
The mix is fantastic, I guess I just want more kick. Ken had spoiled me. Mix = 9
Hot damn this is a solid rocker! Wish you spent more time on the lyrics. Je ne sais quoi= 7

BLT scores 73

Awesome acrostic review!


Yep, better kick thump for sure. Ken gave me some tips, but they require things I haven't acquired as yet. Skill being the first.

As long as the lyrics leave you with the impression that I've got this whole gravity issue due to over consumption of intoxicants and the desire to fuck hardcore, then my work is done, lol. A 3 for the lyrics is very generous in my opinion.
Thank, Glennny

[JonPorobil]

Reviews! Disclaimer 1: I'm your competition, and my opinion doesn't really count. Disclaimer 2: I must have a bug up my butt or something (maybe due to my impending elimination), because these are a little meaner than usual. Sorry about that. No hard feelings to any of you.

Berkely Social Scene - Nice mellow intro. Erin's back; nice. The backup vocals distract from the lead a little, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it makes it difficult to make out the first letter of the line, which is integral to the challenge. Then I start wondering whether Martin's vocal part is supposed to contribute to the acrostic message, and it gets a little confusing. His voice also sounds a little off in the second verse when he takes lead. The melody sounds a little bored when he's carrying it. Great glock, though. I wish this were a few bpm faster. Nice guitar solo. I like how it builds from the verse melody. I love the melodicas in the background near the end. The harmonies in the coda are are great, but by this point the song is getting kinda long and starting to overstay its welcome. Overall, this is a pleasant package in a pretty bow, but I'm not sure it's got staying power. I'm aware I say that to you guys particularly often and it's not very fair, but this is a very subjective thing, I suppose.

BLT - Clever lyrics. I wish there were a little more of them. Or, if not more of them, I wish that the song could have ended when you got to the end of the title. I find myself wondering how the acrostic message (which, of course, doubles as the title) interacts with the lyrics. "We Need to Talk" implies serious discussion, at least to me, so the fact that the hookiest line in this song is "Kiss me, kiss me, kiss me, fuck me hardcore" is sort of an anticlimax. I get it, they're making up after a fight, but I guess some of the context is lost in the lightheartedness (yeah, I know, I'm one to talk, right?). This is a nice jam. Out of all the entries, I think your chorus is the most likely to get stuck in my head.

Boop Boop - Fair warning, this is way harder than I can normally get into. Nice riffing on the lead guitar, but the overdrive rhythm section is too much for me. Your voice is very versatile, and I'm quite envious of that. Nice use of the acrostic. Great drum fill at 1:30ish. The problem with reviewing a song that's this far out of my comfort zone isn't just the fact that I don't like it, but it's more to do with the fact that I can't really adequately distinguish this from other metal songs, so I don't even know what you're doing right and wrong within the genre, nor where you're subverting it, if at all. Oh well. Some sweet soloing, especially the guitarmonies.

Chris Cogott - Oh, you and your false modesty... Yeah, the acrostic is a little lame, but this is by far my favorite song this round. I like the sitar, the way it integrates with the acoustic guitar and the eastern vibe you've got going on here. I also like how you used that vibe to excuse your overuse of hyperbaton, which sounds okay in the context of "exotic" music, but might have come across as too awkward otherwise. Catchy melody. Unfortunately, I think the title didn't really work in your favor, as I don't see its relevance here. Still, I don't even really mind the self-reflexive nature of the lyrics. Yeah, it's about Nur Ein, but whatever. I dig this, man. I dig it a lot. Have fun in Round 6.

Jon Eric - Wish I'd had more time to redo those vocals. Ah well. It's been fun, guys. NUR EIN!!!!!

Milo Dunderville - Nice, upbeat, well-sung, well-performed, the lyrics scan perfectly and fit the title just fine. The acrostic works. This song is the whole package... So why don't I like it? I don't know, but this just isn't grabbing me at all. It's like it's in one ear and out the other. It adds up to less than the sum of its parts. Your guitar is fine, the drums are fine, the organ is sweet, the bass is fine, the chorus is catchy... I don't know. I can't put my finger on any one element or juxtaposition of elements that doesn't work. But this song isn't working for me.

Minty Handy - You know, it's weird, this should feel like a homecoming for you. It's fun, it's nominally funny, but I'm not digging on these lyrics at all. You're singing about a topic that is near and dear to my heart, which is to say the superficiality of online relationships, but you're not doing anything exciting with it. I like your chorus progression. I also feel like your vocals should be a little louder, should have a little but more punch to them. And then there's that acrostic. Not bad, and the Internet context of the lyrics justifies the "LOL" at the end, kinda, though it seems to be about railing against exactly that kind of superficiality... but the LH? Was there really nothing else you could have done to work around throwing those extra letters in?

Therman - I'm gonna say it right now, and then we're gonna move on. Your acrostics suck. They're inelegant and they don't even contribute to the song. Okay, now let's analyze this as though there were no challenge. the vocals are mixed real low, which makes it difficult to understand what you're singing about. You're really belting, and the fact that the music overpowers your voice does make it sound that much bigger, but I'm not sure it's worth it. This is toward the heavier side of your standard Therman fare, which is alright, but there's nothing in particular to make it stand out within your ouevre. The melody isn't particularly catchy, the structure isn't particularly unusual, and the lyrics aren't terribly compelling. Nice solo, though.

[Lunkhead]

The BSS vocals this week were handled by Erin, Martin (the main male voice), and Ken (singing "we need to talk" in doubled three part harmony at the end, also with two tracks or Martin in there). I think they all did great work, and I was happy that we managed to get Martin in one of our recordings for the first time in Nur Ein. We started out with a slower tempo and bumped it up a bit, but maybe it wasn't enough for some people. It's funny how a few bpm can make a big difference sometimes. It's a melodica at the end, played by Ken (three part melodica harmony, w00t!).

[MintyHandy]

but the LH? Was there really nothing else you could have done to work around throwing those extra letters in?

I made the conscious choice (I mentioned it in the thread previously, so I'm not just making this up now) to go with my gut and run with an acrostic on all except the last two letters, deciding that was more than enough to comfortably meet the "extended acrostic" challenge while allowing me the freedom of an unforced (and so musically stronger) closing. I regret nothing!

I have to confess, I briefly considered making the last line of the song this: "Let me show you how I feel, let me see and feel and hear you, hear you, hear you when you talk", but that would have been such an obvious attempt to hide the lack of acrostic on the last two lines that I elected to skip the subterfuge altogether.

[Billy's Little Trip]

BLT - Clever lyrics. I wish there were a little more of them. Or, if not more of them, I wish that the song could have ended when you got to the end of the title. I find myself wondering how the acrostic message (which, of course, doubles as the title) interacts with the lyrics. "We Need to Talk" implies serious discussion, at least to me, so the fact that the hookiest line in this song is "Kiss me, kiss me, kiss me, fuck me hardcore" is sort of an anticlimax. I get it, they're making up after a fight, but I guess some of the context is lost in the lightheartedness (yeah, I know, I'm one to talk, right?). This is a nice jam. Out of all the entries, I think your chorus is the most likely to get stuck in my head.

First bold = Dude, that's getting WAY too literal. It's a song. It has to sound like a song, challenge or not. So let's just say my acrostic is "We Need To Talk, We Need To Talk Talk K".

second = Serious to a sober person....that doesn't want to fuck hardcore. Put yourself in my character's position.

Third = He doesn't want to make up for anything, it's her that wants the drama. He's just fdrinkd and wants to come home to his sweety pie, but she wants to be all raggy about him going out. So he lays down the facts. She knows that she's wants to get railed hard the way she likes it, and he's just the guy to do it. So let's get to it and save the bitching for the morning. ....preferably the afternoon after lunch.

Every word and every line I write in my songs have meaning. I dare anyone to ask me about them. It may not be what you want to hear, but they all make sense. I just think weirder than some.

Oh, and thanks for the review. Your comments were understandable coming from you. And I don't mean that in a bad way. You're my brutha from a Jewish Mutha.

[Spintown]

http://spintown79.blogspot.com/2010/05/ ... ew_26.html

Minty Handy - Fun nerdy song about an internet relationship about to take the next step. This is definately one of the best songs of Nur Ein 5.
Acrostic: "TELL ME NOW WHAT YOU WANT FROM ME WOMAN LOL", plus extra bonus letters "L" and "H".

Milo Dunderville - I LOVED the use of the acrostic...in that it didn't feel like the lyrics were forced while telling your story. Great entry, if you're voted out something is seriously wrong.
Acrostic: "WE NEED TO TALK RIGHT NOW BABY. RIGHT NOW."

Chris Cogott - Not my favorite song from Chris. The music was great, but the lyrics felt forced. I enjoyed the acrostic & the theme he went with, but I seriously pictured Chris as a cross between Weird Al & Yoda while listening to this.
Acrostic: "THIS NUR EIN SONG IS HARD."

Berkeley Social Scene - Few of the lines don't really flow, and seem stuck in the mud. The layering of vocals is something that I often dislike. In this case I'm not really sure how I feel about it. Wasn't a home run, but I think you hit for extra bases.
Acrostic: "WE REALLY NEED TO PILLOW TALK MORE BABY."

Boop Boop - I thought it was a cool idea to pay tribute to Ronnie James Dio, who recently passed on. Unfortunately I didn't really get into the lyrics. The music definately had me rockin' though.
Acrostic: "WE LOVE HIM, RIP DIO. WE ROCK HIM. YEA! RIP DIO."

Jon Eric - Nice use of the acrostic, and I'm guessing it's an indication he struggled with the challenge. I think he managed to write a fine song though. I just didn't think Jon had the pipes for it.
Acrostic: "I AM GOING TO KILL MYSELF."

Billy's Little Trip - I really enjoyed the first 4 lines a lot & the music was solid. Just felt like the lyrics started getting forced after that. I also expected more then just a repeat of the entire song at a faster tempo to finish. Fast off the line, but faltered at the finish.
Acrostic: "WE NEED TO TALK. WE NEED TO TALK. TALK."

Therman - Worst use of the acrostic for this round, and Andrew admits that this challenge "totally raped" him. It's not really my cup of tea musically or lyrically. Sometimes you just have to send in whatever you have finished, and hope for the best.
Acrostic: "HUNT" & "SMURFS"

[Billy's Little Trip]

Billy's Little Trip - I really enjoyed the first 4 lines a lot & the music was solid. Just felt like the lyrics started getting forced after that. I also expected more then just a repeat of the entire song at a faster tempo to finish. Fast off the line, but faltered at the finish.
Acrostic: "WE NEED TO TALK. WE NEED TO TALK. TALK."

SEE! I've been saying I need a boner cam! Just like Reist and his drum cam. If I did, you'd notice towards the end of my song was the best part. So much that...well...yep...got a boner. Had I had a cam, you would have known that my ending was splutendious(sp)
And yeah, everything you said is true,
Thanks Spin.

[Niveous]

The results are in.

Minty Handy is victorious in Round #5
Billy's Little Trip, Jon Eric and Therman have been eliminated.

Minty Handy - 31
Milo Dunderville - 29
Chris Cogott - 25
Boop Boop - 25
Berkeley Social Scene - 24
Billy's Little Trip - 20
Jon Eric - 18
Therman - 8

[Lunkhead]

Congrats to Minty Handy and condolences to those eliminated.

Any chance we'll get a 12 hour extension of the deadline, since the judges are more than 12 hours late posting the new title and challenge?

[BenKrieger]

I escaped by the skin of my teeth.

This week is going to be tough for those of us who have holiday weekend plans. Could we get the Round 6 challenge up pronto? My daughter's asleep and I'm sitting in my studio twiddling my thumbs!

[Niveous]

Could we get the Round 6 challenge up pronto? My daughter's asleep and I'm sitting in my studio twiddling my thumbs!

We're working on it.

[MintyHandy]

O.O

Dear judges: I think there's been a typo or mathematical error. But in case not -- thank you. And: BLT, NOOOOOOOOOO! (grabs for your hand, misses, watches you fall Wile E Coyote style.)

Also, I had a OMG-it'll-never-happen goal of staying in this thing longer than the two folks/bands that I consider to be most consistently awesome (of the Nur Ein entrants) in the SongFight! universe. At this point, one of those folks/bands is out, and the other is still in. Actually winning a round wasn't even on my radar. There is hope for everyone.

[Billy's Little Trip]

Although it would have been nice to continue, this happened at the perfect time. My son's birthday is this weekend and we have a big bbq here with a ton of fam coming. I would have had 3 days to pull a song together. I could have, but I would have been stressed out.

@Minty, lol. And I told you that you were going to go far this year. You've brought it to the table hard every round. So it's nice that it was acknowledged.
NUR EIN!!!!!

[frankie big face]

Dear Nur Ein Contestants,

Being a judge is hard. You try to be honest, you try to be fair, you listen to the songs over and over again, the positions keep changing and sooner or later, you have to send in your list. How can five reasoned people have such varied tastes? I don't know, but I'm beginning to think the way to win this thing is to be the most average competitor. That way, you'll hang right in the middle until everyone who's either awesome or stinks is gone and you'll emerge as the victor. That's how I did it anyway.

Frankie Big Face

Here are some reviews (this is not the order of my ranking):

Jon Eric – Your voice is starting to get to me. I hate to say that because I think you’ve come a long way as a singer and I think the decision to sing in a higher register with more emotion suits you. But week after week, it’s a little too much and the “la la la”s are almost rubbing it in. Don’t get me wrong—I would say the same thing about Neil Young, maybe Rufus Wainwright—both artists I like a lot but their voices can get on my nerves if I listen to them too much. As for the song, I think it’s pretty decent. The lyrics work well in terms of meeting challenging and still stand nicely on their own. This type of extended ending, however, is not effective unless it’s done really well and this one leaves a lot to be desired but doesn’t lack for repetition. Oh, I almost forgot: great job getting your acrostic to work out so that you have a refrain that doesn’t sound forced or awkward.

Chris Colgott – I really admire your vocal work. It’s really spectacular. Sadly, you’ve entered a realm I despise: songs about songs. In this case, a song about Nur Ein. Even if I look past this offense, the lyrics are so convoluted. In order to make the acrostic work, you say things like “Intricate this seems.” Unless you’re going to sing it in the voice of Yoda, it’s not a very good lyric. Still, your arrangement, mix, performance all begs for forgiveness and I do.

Berkeley Social Scene – I always want you guys to sound like Mates of State, but you’re like the anti-Mates of State with none of the rough edges or reckless abandon that make them so interesting. The unison chorus singing between the male/female voice (who is the man? Is he British or just pretending?) is an unfortunate choice in my opinion—very dull. I like the vocal polyphony of the ending a lot, but it’s not enough to save what I think is a kind of lifeless song.

Minty Handy – Although I’m not crazy about the story and there are a couple of weak lines, this is probably the song with the best construction this week. It reminds me of Toad the Wet Sprocket with a splash of 15-16 Puzzle. The little parenthetical bits are likely to invoke cries of “come on!” as in “isn’t that cheating?” but they actually add a level of charm to the song that wouldn’t otherwise exist. Good job finding three well-placed “w” words in the acrostic that allow you to have a consistent and well-placed chorus. Yeah, pretty good.

Milo Dunderville – “I felt I’d cracked the gender code.” Did you really just say that? After the “je ne sais quoi” line? Come on, Milo! You’re better than that. But then you throw down this great chorus, with the wonderful organ, the very cool [beat] HIIIIIGGGHHH, and the break before the tagline. That’s some good shit. Don’t like the abrupt ending, but that’s just quibbling.

Boop Boop – I started to write a review about how I’m not really that into Dio, blah blah blah, but this is just so freaking ambitious and a perfect representation without parody that I can’t help but enjoy it. The lyrics are very clever and the performance is just amazing. When you change keys and go into the double-guitar solo, I am instantly transported back to 1985. For the sixth consecutive week, your song starts at or near the bottom of my list, but then I come to my senses and realize you’re making the most exciting music of the competition and you catapult to the top.

BLT – Like Milo, your verses leave me scratching my head, but your chorus is excellent and the instrumental break that follows is pretty cool. Then you repeat the whole song, but are clever enough to quicken the rhythm and push the verse lines closer together and add the “oh”s. It’s smart arranging dude. This is a fun song, a little hard for me to rank.

Therman – I’m really surprised the challenge confounded you the way it did. You’re good with lyrics, but not with restrictions, I guess? I could forgive the goofy acrostic if the lyrics were brilliant, but they’re not. I could forgive the lyrics if the song had hooks I couldn’t resist, but it doesn’t. I love the emotion you bring to your performances but for this competition, this song falls well short of the mark.

[Chris Cogott]

Congrats Minty! I thought it would be either you or Boop Boop. Good job.

[Chris Cogott]

Chris Cogott – I really admire your vocal work. It’s really spectacular. Sadly, you’ve entered a realm I despise: songs about songs. In this case, a song about Nur Ein. Even if I look past this offense, the lyrics are so convoluted. In order to make the acrostic work, you say things like “Intricate this seems.” Unless you’re going to sing it in the voice of Yoda, it’s not a very good lyric. Still, your arrangement, mix, performance all begs for forgiveness and I do.

I agree with you. This acrostic kicked my ass (I think Glenny pointed that out) right up until Sunday. And that line "Intricate this seems", I was thinking Yoda too. I even considered singing it in a Yoda voice then thought better of it. Anyway thanks for forgiving. I understand my weakness is in the lyrics. I usually write words to a melody I already have in my head. Maybe I should switch that around? Also, no more songs about songs (although nobody would even know except for you guys).

[Spintown]

@MintyHandy: Congrats, you earned it.

@Eliminated Competitors: Keep your heads high, it was a strong round, and you put in a lot of good work. Well done.

[JonPorobil]

Dear Nur Ein Contestants,

Being a judge is hard. You try to be honest, you try to be fair, you listen to the songs over and over again, the positions keep changing and sooner or later, you have to send in your list. How can five reasoned people have such varied tastes? I don't know, but I'm beginning to think the way to win this thing is to be the most average competitor. That way, you'll hang right in the middle until everyone whose either awesome or stinks is gone and you'll emerge as the victor. That's how I did it anyway.

Frankie Big Face

Here are some reviews (this is not the order of my ranking):

Jon Eric – Your voice is starting to get to me. I hate to say that because I think you’ve come a long way as a singer and I think the decision to sing in a higher register with more emotion suits you. But week after week, it’s a little too much and the “la la la”s are almost rubbing it in. Don’t get me wrong—I would say the same thing about Neil Young, maybe Rufus Wainwright—both artists I like a lot but their voices can get on my nerves if I listen to them too much.

Hey, I appreciate you being as nice as humanly possible about saying that, but I suspect it was worse than just that. Heck, relistening to it, even I can barely stand my voice on this track, and I'm honestly surprised I didn't take dead last. I've recorded songs where the vocal worked better than this in the same register. I think I just plain-ol' flat-out sung it poorly this week.

As for the song, I think it’s pretty decent. The lyrics work well in terms of meeting challenging and still stand nicely on their own. This type of extended ending, however, is not effective unless it’s done really well and this one leaves a lot to be desired but doesn’t lack for repetition. Oh, I almost forgot: great job getting your acrostic to work out so that you have a refrain that doesn’t sound forced or awkward.

Yeah, I really should have rethought the arrangement. I did the ending at first with just two repetitions of the "la la la" bit, but it felt like it ended too suddenly. Then with four repetitions, it felt like it didn't move enough. I should have added some other instruments and allowed them to build up.

Oh well, you live and learn. I'm glad to have made it this far, and to have found myself in such great company.

BLT, your track was severely underrated, and it's been stuck in my head all day.

Minty, congratulations!

NUR EIN!!!!!

[Reist]

I’m really surprised the challenge confounded you the way it did. You’re good with lyrics, but not with restrictions, I guess?

Exactly. In fact, all the restrictions each round have been a lot tougher for me to complete than in previous years.

this song falls well short of the mark.

Yup.

I definitely expected to be eliminated this round - there were a lot of good songs, and my tune just didn't hold up (especially the vocals and the use of the challenge). But to be honest, I'm glad to be out. Nur Ein drained me this year, which is weird since it invigorated me in the past. Maybe the competitor in me has died, I dunno.

It was a decent run guys, and I'm glad I participated for the sake of my stranded/97 tunes, which I think are awesome. Good luck to the rest of you.