Nur Ein XVIII Round One "Blind Spot"

[BenKrieger]

I completely scrapped my song and wrote/recorded another last minute. With just tambourine. we’ll see how it does!

[ken]

I completely scrapped my song and wrote/recorded another last minute. With just tambourine. we’ll see how it does!

If anyone can pull this off, it is you Ben Krieger.

[vowlvom]

Berkeley Social Scene - a frustrating song! The percussion in the intro sounds really cool and then it drops out until late in the song, leaving a very by-the-numbers BSS track that stretches out to almost five minutes including an instrumental section after the solo where nothing interesting is happening at all. Badly needs an edit! The lyrics struck me as clunky, although the vocals and melodies are solid. I like the little ascending riff over the later choruses. The solo is fine but again it kinda comes and goes in a way that feels divorced from the song as a whole, I wish there was a little slide lead elsewhere in the song and then the solo could give it a spotlight rather than "and now here's our designated block to show off some skills". Think this could be decent if it was tightened up but as it is I found it to drag on repeated listens.


Boffo Yux Dudes - structurally I found this more satisfying than your round zero track, it gets right into the action with that driving, funky electric piano and the percussion is really nicely used to lift the choruses (although the shaker is a little bit high in the mix for how much it's used, perhaps). The dog solo is hilarious and the spoken-word section over the bass is a nice change of pace. Lyrics not posted in the thread, but they seem fine as far as I can tell. Fun song!


Cavedwellers - really like that opening riff, it crashes in with a good energy and some nice crunch. In general I really like this song musically, it's nicely varied with a good flow between the various sections, the percussion-heavy breakdown is a fun way to tackle the challenge and this is probably my favourite solo of the round (because I'm a sucker for guitarmonies). The lyrical idea is good fun but the vocals don't really work for me on this one, the melodies and rhythms of the words don't feel as well thought-out as the music and the echoes and layering (which is pretty sloppy in places) make things feel pretty muddy, especially for a song that is so story-based.


chewmeupspitmeout - the vocals bouncing in and out of falsetto are fun, makes for a strong / interesting / memorable melody line. Feel like the vocal levels are a little tricky though, sometimes they get a little swamped by the music and at other times they're overpowering, could use some automation or maybe some clever sidechain stuff to help in the parts when the music gets busier. The clean guitar early on sounds like it has some cool stuff going on but it's a little buried in the mix, would like to hear more of that. The crunchy guitar sounds really nice. Lyrics are a fun take on the title with some striking images, I like the "cosmic fruit flies" line! And the percussion is well integrated into the song. So yeah, generally good song that just needs a little mix work I think.


Cybronica - very clever start to the song, immediately grabbed my attention! I like the rhythm of the verses a lot, the different rhythms in the drums / bass / organ generally make for some interesting textures. The percussion contributes nicely to those textures, subtle but effective. Lyrics are solid. Vocal layering / harmonies don't work for me as well as your previous song, there's a lot going on especially in the final chorus and it feels a little jarring to me, the mixture of harmonies and vibrato is always tricky and it doesn't quite work for me here.


The Dutch Widows - loved this one. Such a (bitter)sweet melody and the chiming guitars sound great, as does the bright organ solo. Nice layers of percussion throughout, the woodblock in particular is really charming. The lyrics are really interesting to me, and sound great delivered with the slightly melancholy / weary tone of your vocals. Some of the backing vocal layers feel like they could be tightened up a little at times but generally I like everything about this one. One of my favourites this round for sure.


Ellipsis - I like the big swing you've made here in terms of genre, going straight for something that really suits the ton of percussion you've loaded in. The chiming prayer bowl is just a little too insistent for me, I wish it was either less frequent or dropped in and out through the song rather than playing the whole way through - otherwise the mix of sounds is really fun ear candy. I love it when the big drums kick in and the meandering lead melody is unusual and charming. Lyrics are compellingly cryptic, vocal delivery is solid but you're obviously letting the instruments take the spotlight on this one and they are really fun!


Eric Novak - I feel like this is a solid improvement on your round zero song and I feel bad that I'm still going to rank it low unfortunately, just because the field is so strong. The instrumental has some nice musical hooks, I like the main riff and while cajon isn't one of the instruments I expected this round, I feel like it's a clear engagement with the challenge so it works for me. Unfortunately there are a lot of off notes in the vocals and some rhythmic issues that just take me out of the enjoyment a bit too much, and not enough elsewhere that's hooking me back in. Lyrics are fine, but they don't really grab me until the closing lines which are oddly compelling.


Glennny - this is really cool, I like the combination of the rich, warm, layered acoustic instrumentation (especially that sparkly mandolin) and the harmonised / vocodery vocals. It's an unusual but effective mix of kinda vintage and modern sounds. Some of the percussion feels a little busy to the point that it gets a little messy in places (particularly in the quieter section before the slide solo), but for the most part it's a nice fit, and the melodies and flow of the vocal (and lyrics) and instrumental are satisfying throughout.


Grumpy Mike - this is a tricky one for me. I have fewer actual potentially useful criticisms than I did for the previous song, it sounds slick and solid, hits the challenge etc. But from a personal point of view this falls directly into the exact middle of a particular subgenre I absolutely cannot stand - despite the obvious craft on display this was the song I least looked forward to revisiting of the round. I know the other judges are more heavy-rock oriented than I am so I'm sure they'll balance out my ranking but I have to take into account how little I liked this song, unfortunately.


Jimmy Pesto - I like this a LOT more than your round zero entry, although I'm slightly perplexed with the quality of the recording - it sounds lo-fi in a very particular way, like I've tuned into a RealAudio stream via 56k modem in 1999. The melody is really sweet and melancholy and I love the little splashes of melodica (?) popping into one of my ears.


Lichen Throat - your percussion track is interesting, although the extremely on-the-grid feel is less interesting to me than some of the other songs with their real shakers etc. I like your lyrics for this round and this is one of your better vocals that I've heard, good timbre as always but mostly solid timing too. Would have liked a more interesting arrangement but I know you were working on a short timescale this round and this is solidly enjoyable so nice work.


The Lowest Bitter - really like this, the synth / piano riff is a great hook with a cool kinda "uplifting club music" vibe and the whole song has a nice rise and fall with the various instrumental / percussive / vocal layers coming in and out. I think you mostly get away with the hangover vocals mentioned in the lyrics thread, or at least the lead vocal sounds good to me, I'm not as into the background vocals - I know you said in the lyrics thread that you were aiming for loose and that's fine as a choice but I feel like they intrude a little too much on the main vocals at time, maybe some tougher EQing to separate them a little more would have helped. Lyrics are good, percussion is a good fit, I like the way the rhythm of the higher pitched clave / woodblock / whatever that is opens the song and then nicely complements the main beat.


Mama Pills - the ukulele-taps are a pretty shaky take on the challenge, but I like the song a lot and your voice sounds great. Especially pleased that you get both syllables into "mirror", to my British ears it always sounds weird when people say "mirrr" (naming no names) so I appreciated that, haha. Good lyric, emotive delivery.


Max Bombast - this is good fun, you've really leaned into the percussion and made it work really well with your usual big riffage. No lyrics in the thread but the stuff I picked out made me smile, and you're bringing a ton of energy and a punchy sub-two-minute track that left me wanting more.


Moss Palace - layered vocals sound really good, and I like that you've leaned into a style that particularly suits the use of the percussion. Another smooth, enjoyable track - this one feels a bit more like Moss Palace in "album track" mode rather than "hit single" mode to me for some reason, but it's very nicely done.


Nick Soma - this has a nice spacious sound to it but for some reason it never really grabbed me, and I can't really pinpoint why that is. Some combination of the melody, lyrics and vocal delivery leaves me a little cold this time around even though your take on the title is a solid one and I like your voice. Sorry I can't be more specific! Still a solid, well-executed track, just not quite for me this time around.


Slimeparty - I like the big bassline and the crunchy drums, and the way this sounds a little sinister for a song with so many handclaps. The percussion isn't one of the more striking takes on the challenge but I like that you made the song ABOUT hand percussion to balance that out, a nice touch.


Stacking Theory - good song, strong emotional take on the title and lots of fun layers and production flourishes. I'm disappointed with the percussion challenge on this one though, the sampled tambourine is so static and dull and I can barely hear the shaker, it feels like your spacious style of songwriting / recording could fit in some really interesting percussion layers and I think it's a bit of a shame that it's the least interesting element of your song. But the song itself is good, and the challenge is met, so you know, whatever.


Third Cat - so much ear candy! I love the use of echoes here, the ringing at the end of vocal lines, the sparkling guitars, the short, crisp delays on the percussion. The chorus really kicks in nicely too. Prefer this guitar solo to the one in your first song, it fits nicely into the killer sonic world you've built up, as do the vocals - for the most part the lyrics feel kinda functional rather than arresting but I like that you got "fascist meathog" in there without disrupting the vibe. One of my favourites.


Virgo Power - this definitely feels imperfect, the handclappy middle section feels like it loses the song's momentum a bit. But I love the shouty hook (reminds me of Le Tigre a bit) and the use of distortion. Would have been nice to have more hand percussion in there for the challenge rather than just the claps but this is such a cool track and it really stands out from the pack.


Crown Shy - love the zither! This really reminds me of the Magnetic Fields early stuff, I don't remember if any of that has a zither on it or I'm just getting that from the melodies and general vibe but I am definitely getting it! The more prominent of the percussive instruments (think it's the guiro being tapped?) is a Little Bit Much at times when it's being hit on every beat but otherwise the slight messiness of this adds to the vibe rather than losing anything I think, and the lyrics and vocals are great - love the a cappella ending.


Last Minotaur - kudos for getting this done last minute! Impressive work, the driving bass sounds good - I wish the drums were louder, I feel like this should have some proper percussive clatter going on rather than their current spot low in the mix.


Vom Vorton - first song I've written since February I think? I quite like it. I've been playing a lot of nylon string guitar, and also have recently graduated to being good enough on drums that I don't need to do too much fixing or quantise stuff any more, so I'm pleased to get those elements into a new song rather than the covers I've mostly been working on recently. Some keyboard mistakes towards the end but I decided they kinda fit the vibe, having heard this at the end of the playlist each time... maybe I should have fixed it. Ah well.

[BenKrieger]

Jimmy Pesto - I like this a LOT more than your round zero entry, although I'm slightly perplexed with the quality of the recording - it sounds lo-fi in a very particular way, like I've tuned into a RealAudio stream via 56k modem in 1999. The melody is really sweet and melancholy and I love the little splashes of melodica (?) popping into one of my ears.

I was too exhausted Sunday night, so I just recorded on Garage Band using the built-in mic on my Macbook. I came up with the song quickly and thought it sounded like the kind of simple, lofi acoustic song that would close an album.

[mo]

I might as well just say it, the ellipsis "blind spot" lyrics are more or less about the blind spots of characters in Barry and Succession, in which the 'blind spot' is both the inability to "open your third eye" to self-awareness and also

Spoiler

where someone might be gifted a small pellet of lead

[glennny]

Dude!
Heard of a spoiler alert?!?!
I was saving Barry for after Nur Ein

[mo]

Oh sorry.my bad

[glennny]

Mo,

There is this cool feature, ummm 17th button from the left. Eyeball icon. it allows:

Spoiler:

Spoiler

There's no Santa Claus, Rosebud was his sled......etc

[mo]

ok does anyone else have anything I shouldn't spoil? or that you want me specifically TO spoil?

[mo]

besides milk, I already have to get new milk

[ujnhunter]

Okay! So other than the artist/band names being in Alphabetical Order... I listened to them in reverse order while judging and writing my reviews! Same for the Shadows, at the end of the contestants and in reverse order. I'm not as good with reviews as Vom, but at least I'm attempting something!

Berkeley Social Scene: Cut that intro in half… I like the bass build up… then it disapears when the Beach Boys (Ken) comes in? Feels like two different parts. Solo feels like it's on a highway. I can dig it. I agree with Vom that the instrumental section after the solo is unnessecary... or should be half as long for sure, even if I dig the bass guitar there.

Boffo Yux Dudes: I can get into it. Improvement on R0. More dogs. Must be the "Spot". I like the difference in the bridge to the rest of the song.

Cavedwellers: Octave guitars. I like the Muse-ish vox in the verse. Nice guitars/groove. Verses seem more rocking than the choruses, which is weird to me… feeling wise. Nice Brian May solo.

chewmeupspitmeout: Almondish. Soft. I enjoy the backing tracks this time, more than the sound collage feel of R0. The vocal/melody is what gets me here.

Cybronica: Purplish. Deep. Intro… shorter. Dig it when the vox come in. I like the build up. Vocal melody, drums, chorus. Catchy.

Ellipsis: Money… Time? Pinkish. Needs more FUZZ guitar, obvs. I like all the sound elements, wish the vocals were more than just background for me though.

Eric Novak: I enjoy this much more than R0. The parts seem different, and the melody is more sure. Nice improvement.

Glennny: Maybe your vocal blends in the same midrange as your guitars. It's fine for the backing vox that want to be an "instrument" in itself, but the main vox I'd want a little air or seperation. Overall good sounding track though.

Grumpy Mike: Primus. It's weird, I don't think anything is particularly bad in itself, but together, I'm not sure everything fits. Love the heavy dun dun, and the solo RIPS!, but the weird bass only verses… and the vocals that don't seem to fit in some of the sections… I don't think on a whole it works, but the pieces aren't bad in themselves. Hrmmm...

Jimmy Pesto: Much better than R0. Lyrics/vocals more heartfelt. Short, but sweet. Definitely has that early 2000's album closer feel.

Lichen Throat: Intro 2x too long. Vocal timing is getting better though it seems. I do need more variation in a vocal melody, I have a hard time without that... but you are improving and I give you credit for that.

Mama Pills: G&U. I think it's hard for me to hear the section changes when there is only one instrument & vocal. Especially when the strumming pattern stays pretty much the same. I do like the passion and vocal performance. I wish you could find a way to multitrack so that you could focus on your backing track/s more. I do appreciate your one take live performance, though I wish it was half as long.

Max Bombast: Rocking as always. Cowbell? Not really a fan of the dog lyrics though… Thanks for keeping it short and sweet.

Moss Palace: Bass is busy and confusing to start. 0:36 is more better. I like the chorus buildup/parts. Cool solo part. It reminds me of something. Tarantino soundtrackish… heh. I like everything except the verses. You're definitely nailing whatever vibe I'm getting though.

Nick Soma: Sounds nice and full. Really like the "muddy waters" vocals. Cool guitars. I like the fill part at "blind" as well. I dig it, I'd probably try to shorten it a bit somewhere though.

Slimeparty: Are we dungeon crawling? Clapping my hands. 1:28 break it down.

Stacking Theory: Bass sounds good. I like the doubled vocals. Dreamy sounds. I feel like I'm half awake… waves crashing over me. 2:12 is nice.

The Dutch Widows: I like the stereo guitars. I dig the vocals when the backing comes in too. Nice guitar solo. The mix sounds great. Good little knock knock block.

The Lowest Bitter: Nice intro, but make it half as long. Disco drums are cool as are the synth arps. Ear candy dings.

Third Cat: Loungey? I like the shimmery guitar/keys(?)... Verses/choruses seem a little disconnected to me… I dig the stereo-ness. Cool guitar solo.

Virgo Power: I like the crunchy (distortion) thing. Drums seem a little off. Wish the chorus was a little more than just the same thing repeated over and over.

*Crown Shy: Sparkly. Owly. I like the verses a lot. Woody. Clicky. I don't know what you're saying in the choruses though.

*Last Minotaur: Planet P. Project. I feel like the verse/chorus sound too similar for my liking. Obvs the intesity/volume kicks up, but nothing else is different from the verses, same as the bridge, I think if you added a new instrument or something… or removed one in the bridge maybe.

*Vom Vorton: Smithy. I like the left/right guitars clicking back and forth in my stereo. Bass sounds good, nice and soft mix. Sounds like my past life… as a time traveler.

Overall I was pleased with all of the tracks and felt like everyone stepped up from R0 for the most part. The highs were not as high, but the lows didn't really seem to be there at all, so kudos to everyone!

[Pop Machine]

Any more reviews coming?

[Heather. Redmon.]

I plan to post some thoughts in the near future.

[Niveous]

Same here.

[Cybronica]

Finally finished my reviews! Apologies to Max and BYD for the short changed thoughts.

NE 18 r1

Reviews in order of the lyrics thread. If I’m missing your song, post your lyrics! Amazing work this round.

Lichen Throat: I really like the pattern the guitar in my right ear is doing; that and when the strings first come in are my favorite parts of the orchestration. That said, much as I usually like your sound, this one is a miss for me. Something about the arrangement isn’t quite right- it’s a little plodding, a little disjointed. I think if it were a little faster, that would help. Also I think your percussion is part of what I’m not digging, which is a shame cause that’s the part you were required to include. The lyrics are nice, they remind me of Caught in the Crowd by Kate Miller-Heidke

Third Cat: this lyric is interesting- a pretty vague break up(??) song, and then you hit me with ‘fascist meathog’ at the end and I’m doing a double take, rereading then to see what I missed. I’m still not sure what I missed. In the meantime, I like the lofi crackly radio sound softening the edges, and the really prolific use of reverb. That tinny warehouse space shape of the reverb complements the wooshy scifi effect you have on the guitar. I feel like I’m listening to a song from a spaceship. Nicely done!

Stacking theory:
Love the backstory, that adds a lot to my understanding of the lyrics. The subject matter is a great fit- I often feel like your songs are whispering in my ear, so the singing/talking in the middle of the night matches this well. The swell of Orchestrion into the chorus is fabulous, splitting the vox into a hard pan is a tasty effect for the ear, too.

Dutch Windows: right off the bat, I LOVE the panned shakers. They caress my ears with a loving touch… ok, silly imagery aside, they are symbolic of the overall great mix you have here. Everything is spread out really well, in such a way that puts a figurative spotlight on your vox, which nestle into the center of everything like the Birth of Venus on her clam shell. The lyrics make me want more- what lead to this emotional outpouring? What made your father choose those words? If this was an album, I’d be eagerly awaiting the next track hoping to glean more information. Congrats on your win, well deserved!

Slimeparty: love that bass sound you have going throughout. The lyrics leave a lot to be desired; they feel a bit generic, and if there’s a point they are driving at, I am just not getting it. The repeated “clap your hands” c&r chorus just don’t match the overall effect of the song. That’s a joyous kind of lyrics, but the song, and more importantly your vocal delivery, are furtive and sneaky in nature. For me, it just doesn’t work.

Ellipsis: I like the assassin metaphor, but like with slime party, the words don’t match the music. You have a children’s song orchestration with a bossanova beat, and you’re sing about the little red dot of a sniper shot? Is this a commentary on American schools? If so, ok, well done. Other than that, the orchestration is lovely, and the way you mixed and panned it is a delicious auditory experience. Cute song, but the words confuse me.

Vom Vorton: short and sweet, emphasis on the sweet. Really beautifully poetic way to talk about such an intense subject matter. Really well done. This is beautiful, and I don’t have any real notes except one thought on vocal production- if you mix in a little head voice, those higher notes could still sound sweet without sounding like you’re reaching for the edge of your range.

Lowest bitter: I like how the sparse opening leads Into the lush pad under the vox. That patch spreads out and fills in all the cracks in just the right way. You have a lot going on here orchestrationally, and all the pieces fit together really well- it never feels like a jangly mess, which is a risk with these multifaceted instrumentations. Vocally, I’d never guess you were hung over. Your vox sound as good as always! Lyrically- I like the sentiment of this song. “Main character syndrome” is something I’ve been hearing more and more about in the cultural zeitgeist, and this is a great summation of it.

Mama pills: firstly, I’m so impressed you are doing these in one continuous take. How you incorporated the challenge is very ‘check the box,’ but it fits the song well so I have no qualms about it. There is a sweetness and a vulnerability to this song that is made all the more emotional by the clear anger and frustration. I’m just waiting for your anger to bubble up and explode, in a “the world trembles when a good man goes to war” sort of way. You’ve had a lot of advice given in the discord regarding the possibilities offered by GarageBand, so I won’t say much about the mix. Great performance. I didn’t even realize this song was 5 whole minutes! Normally these low production value songs that stretch long get insufferable, but yours is the perfect length for it (ok, I realize that sounds like a back handed compliment, but I swear it’s not! Great artistry is evident evident even in low budget environments).

Bss: this is probably my favorite BSS song- it’s the most cohesive sound I’ve heard from you guys. Everything really aligned here- the band gels in a way that I haven’t heard from y’all in a while, losing that jangly, discombobulating mix that sometimes makes me dizzy. Is there more bass in the sound? That could be it- I do have a bias against from a lot of higher partials. But yeah, LOVE this. My only note is that I thought you were singing “I’ve got a blind spot for my own wife” until I read the lyrics just now, so maybe enunciate a bit more? That’s such a nitpick, though. This could just be your ‘there’s a bathroom on the right.’

Miss palace: LOVE this groove against the wooshy 80s synth. A great sound, and another song where there are a lot of moving parts, and they all fit together like clockwork. Great singing; it really blooms at “never saw it coming,” and the backing vox are so well done, especially when the lower voice join you. It’s a delicious sound. The lyrics are kinda meh for me. Reading them on the page, they feel kinda empty, but I don’t find myself bothered by it when listening to the song. Their generic nature allows them to facilitate the music rather than pull focus from it. I always found myself dancing along- great song!

Glennny: I’m curious about the lyrics, in the the context of the last line. Are you saying that you’ve made your availability and interest very clear to this person, and the balls in their court? It’s an interesting take on the title, and I appreciate that you seem to be the only person whose song is saying you’re NOT in a blind spot. Love the guitar work combined with the… mando? The arrangement is lovely. Your harmony vox are well done, and sound nice in the context of the full song. This is a lovely listen all around.

Chewmeupspitmeout: what an eerie sound. I love it. It’s a perfect match for this creepy narrator, giving me “nice guy” vibes. I don’t know how to describe the overall vibe of this song except it’s like the Innards of a lava lamp- the lugubrious melody, the parallel perfect intervals on the BVs, the slightly-but-not-too grungy guitar, they all move around and slip out of my grasp. Very cool.

Eric Novak: this song is giving me serious early Bowie vibes, with a bit of swing. Everything is mixed kinda low, tho. I’d like the guitar a bit louder so it can match the voice a bit better, and the voice could use a little EQ bum in the 2k-3K. that will help it stand out sonically while still being a similar volume to the rest of the instruments.

Cavedwellers: cool story concept; I like how you used the characters to encorporate both Truth and Glennnys voices into the song. The pass on the right line always makes me giggle- it’s so banal a lyric for so pretty a line. Love the vocalism on “rookie mistaaaake.” As always, great music, amazing guitar work, fun song!

Grumpy mike: I like where you’re heading with this, and I like each section, but they don’t really flow well into each other. It’s a bit discombobulating. I do love how how the “woof woof” sound in my headphones. And wow, you are SHREDDING that guitar solo!

Nick soma: this had a vibe like the theme song to “firefly” in the verses, and I love it. The stacked vox in the chorus are glorious, leans the vibe towards Kansas. It’s not your usual sound, but I like it. Maybe it’s just that it’s not as spooky as I expect? But it’s nice, you do it well! The lyrics are good, but they feel just a little… awkward? If I’m not paying attention to them, it’s fine, but they don’t quite fit, like the proverbial zipper won’t go up that last couple inches. What a silly metaphor- I hope that makes sense!

Crownshy: i like the community band sound of this with the castanets, ukulele, mando, tambourine, etc. I feel like I’m listening to a band in a Grecian cafe, or frolicking through a field in the English countryside, or watching the self growth travel montage in a indie film. Oh and I LOVE that a capella send out. Adding to that community quality is that not all the parts line up all the time, so it’s a bit like a group of people coming together to make beautifully imperfect music. It’s not something that particularly bothers me here, as I love that community music making aesthetic, but it’s not what I expect from you, so I thought it bore mentioning. Overall, though, beautiful song, flourid poetry, love it.

Virgo power: a completely different sound! I like it! Love the hard panned vox and call back in the middle, love the buzzy synth swirling around me back and forth, and the hand perc breakdown is pretty cool. The shifts between tempi are cool, but the transitions are hesitant, and within the sections, the beat isn’t always steady. I know it’s hard when recording live with multiple tempi, but it might have been good to record with a metronome.

Cybronica: it me! This song was so high for my chest voice, and I didn’t really mix any head voice into that belt, so I think the vox sound a bit shouty at times. I’d def want to rerecord those if I ever release this properly.

And I’m so sorry but I don’t have time to finish the last two reviews. Some high level reflections from my listens:

Max bombast: this is amazing. You have the best dog song this round.

Byd: another great dog song! I liked the woofing breakdown.