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Who's Gonna Win? (Guessing Game Reviews)

Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2018 1:02 pm
by Pigfarmer Jr
You can't win if you don't play....

Re: Who's Gonna Win? (Guessing Game Reviews)

Posted: Wed May 02, 2018 8:32 am
by Lunkhead
Songs posted

Re: Who's Gonna Win? (Guessing Game Reviews)

Posted: Thu May 03, 2018 1:41 am
by vowlvom
Far North Daylight - I really like the airy acoustic sound, although I was also pleased to hear another layer come in late on and I think I’d have maybe liked that to be introduced a little earlier, maybe along with the second verse? This is the kind of track that would sound great if it was the more stripped-down track after a few bigger productions on an album but in a standalone context it’s a little bit thin… that said, I still enjoyed this quite a lot.

Lichen Throat - a cleaner arrangement and the vocal is a lot easier to follow than your last couple of entries. Interesting lyric, and I like the shift from the verse to chorus although the verse feels a bit too long to me, with this many lyrics maybe more variation needed in the music?

Nick Soma - really rich, full sound and the lyrics and melody are strong. I liked this one very much indeed, the strings blended into the wide-panned double acoustics sound lovely, and the little bass fills are great. Reminds me a bit of Automatic for the People-era REM.

Pigfarmer Jr. - I like the mix of jangling acoustic and fuzzy electric, but the vocal melody just feels a bit off which prevented me fully getting into this one.

Tim Hinkle - filthy guitar sound! This is interesting but the mix is a bit distracting - the vocals sound extremely separate from the music. I think the song is solid but I couldn’t quite get on with the sound.

Tuners Union - you always have so much interesting stuff going on in your tracks, little keyboard runs, rich harmonies and bonus melodies. A pleasure to listen to, although I’ve heard other Tuners Union songs that have connected with me more immediately. That closing harmonised acoustic solo is possibly my favourite bit, just lovely.

WreckdoM - this is definitely the longest WreckdoM song I’ve heard so far (even taking into account that the last 40 seconds are silent for some reason), and possibly my favourite? I really like the dark, moody music and sinister vibe. I wish that drone at the end kept going for ages.

Vom Vorton - this is me. I decided to go for an 80s game show theme tune vibe, which also gave me the chance to use loads more fake brass, since it was so popular last time ;)

Nick Soma definitely my favourite but I’m voting for a bunch of these, really strong fight!

Re: Who's Gonna Win? (Guessing Game Reviews)

Posted: Sun May 06, 2018 11:45 pm
by owl
Lichen Throat: I quite like the instrumental, it's got a clear drive and focus. The lyrics paint a wonderful story, clear and weird and fascinating, although I thought throwing in the "Evelyn" rhyme felt a little lazy, like you couldn't think of a better rhyme for "loony bin" so you played a proper name "get out of jail free" card. The vocals fell a bit short for me, I felt like they followed the instrumental rhythm and melody (or vice versa) too often and it would be a lot more pleasing if vocal and instrumentation were syncopated to the opposite beats. I also think the performance might sound better if this were arranged in a higher register. I think your voice sounds better in the higher ranges of the song and a bit more off key when you're singing in a lower pitch and kind of bottoming out.

Pigfarmer Jr. : I agree with Vom's comments--the arrangement sounds really good, particularly the combo of acoustic and electric guitars, but the vocals were pretty off in the verse and it distracted from it. I liked the melody a lot, I found the lyrics a bit vague but they flowed well with the music. The ending seemed kind of abrupt, which was obviously intentional but it felt anticlimactic--would have liked more of a proper outro to match the nice intro.

Tuners Union: Nicely done, this was all very beautifully arranged and put together. Kind of reminded me of Steely Dan or something, very 70s. I really liked the harmonies and the interplay between guitar and keyboards. (Honestly I really dislike that era/genre of music but I still really appreciated your track!)

WreckdoM: Gothy! I love your vocals in the parts where you're kind of crooning. Great atmosphere, although it felt a bit too long and indistinct for me after a while. I couldn't really make out what you're saying most of the time but I liked the repeated "glory to the golden fist" phrase.

Nick Soma: I loved this! This reminded me of a lower-key "Better Things" by the Kinks. Great wistful melody, tasteful harmonies, nice arrangement and performance. Strong lyrics as well, the "little time bomb" verse was my favorite. The melody started to feel sort of repetitive to me after a bit, it might be nice to either edit down the length a little or change up the melody/phrasing more, but that's just a minor nitpick. Nice job.

Far North Daylight: I like the stripped-down sound and your guitar playing is nicely dynamic, it carries the song along well. The kind of detuned-sounding distant radar lead sounds awesome, I would have liked it to go on for longer.

Vom Vorton: Sorry for flaking on our collab for this, I'm glad you finished it up on your own, it came out great! Strong melody, interesting twist in the lyrics (at first I thought it was going to be about forgetting someone's name/face, which happens to me all the time and gives me constant anxiety, but then it took a dark turn.) I love the chorus especially, very catchy. Good fake brass, there should be more of it, in my opinion.

Tom Hinkle: Great voice! I liked the weird-sounding drums, it was an interesting combo with the distorted guitar. The guitar was mixed too loud for me though, it was really distracting. I think the melody was good and I'd like this better with a different arrangement.

Re: Who's Gonna Win? (Guessing Game Reviews)

Posted: Tue May 08, 2018 1:17 pm
by lichenthroat
Far North Daylight—Nice opening. The vocal sounds more distant than the guitar, which is not ideal. The song, however, is good. I’d like more of a climax at the end of the chorus (“follow me home”), and the additional instrument should have come in sooner. Nevertheless, this is an enjoyable song that’s well written and performed.

Lichen Throat (me)—Yes, it’s another instance of me adapting a book to a Song Fight entry; in this case, it’s Nine Princes in Amber, by Roger Zelazny. I agree with the assessments of the song that have been posted so far (except about the lazy rhyme—“Evelyn” is the name from the book, though I can see how that would not be apparent to most listeners). The verses are too long and need more musical variation. I had trouble coming up with a vocal melody, and it shows in the finished product. I’m fairly happy with the chorus, at least.

Nick Soma—I love this. Lively mix, pleasantly crooning vocal, masterful arrangement. I especially like the strings: so beautiful and restrained. This goes straight to the greatest hits collection.

Pigfarmer Jr—I don’t like your chorus, but I’m fond of the guitar line at the beginning of the verses. The bridge is good, too, and the little solo after the bridge vocal is a nice touch.

Tim Hinkle—I like your voice. Some of the instrument tones, however, are a little off-putting, particularly the weird drum sounds. I think the song might be better suited to a somewhat cleaner guitar tone. I’d like more differentiation between the verses and the chorus, but other than that, I like how your arrangement keeps building tension.

Tuners Union—As usual, you’ve written a smooth, well-crafted song that is stylistically at variance with my aesthetic preferences. Man, every component of this sounds so good, though, as if you spent weeks in an expensive studio.

Vom Vorton—In general, I tend to like your more electronic-sounding entries less than your other stuff. I’m a little put off by the sound profile, but there’s a rock-solid song here. The chord progressions are great, and this is one of your better vocal performances.

WreckdoM—I think you’ve created exactly the creepy, expansive atmosphere that you probably had in mind. It sounds very cohesive and is among your better entries.

Re: Who's Gonna Win? (Guessing Game Reviews)

Posted: Sat May 12, 2018 4:28 pm
by neutronflow
Vom Vorton: This is my favorite from this fight.

Pigfarmer Jr: Guitars sound great, vocal kinda off. I actually like the way the song just trails off, though, I think it works with the material.

Lichen Throat: The opening put me in mind of John Carpenter. The chorus is pretty good. I like the little "Who am I?" bit. The verses got hard to focus on after a while. Have you got some slight ring modulation on your vocal? I kinda like it.

WreckdoM: This has a great sound. I like the echo on the drums. I love the menace in your vocal.

Tuners Union: Fabulous arrangement. Lots of lovely little intricate bits slotted together. It doesn't stick in my head, though; just dissipates right out of my brain when it's over.

Nick Soma: Lovely echoey things in the background. Sounds oddly like the Moody Blues covering Green Day. Or vice versa? Lots of swirling blues and greens, anyway. Hints of sunny yellow if you know where to look. I like it.

Far North Daylight: I adore the jangly sound of this.

Re: Who's Gonna Win? (Guessing Game Reviews)

Posted: Fri May 18, 2018 7:17 am
by Lunkhead
Congrats to Nick Soma!

Re: Who's Gonna Win? (Guessing Game Reviews)

Posted: Fri May 18, 2018 2:29 pm
by noma
Wow! This is my first SF win. Four years, 32 songs. Thanks to you all for your votes! :)

Re: Who's Gonna Win? (Guessing Game Reviews)

Posted: Fri May 18, 2018 2:45 pm
by vowlvom
Congrats Nick! Well deserved, great song.

Re: Who's Gonna Win? (Guessing Game Reviews)

Posted: Fri May 18, 2018 6:07 pm
by lichenthroat
Congratulations! It was long overdue.