But all I found was your song (Looking 4 U reviews)

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Lunkhead
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But all I found was your song (Looking 4 U reviews)

Post by Lunkhead »

Let's see some reviews! I mean, I'm too busy with Nur Ein and stuff, but, most of you don't have that excuse anymore. :P
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genecawley
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Re: But all I found was your song (Looking 4 U reviews)

Post by genecawley »

The Go-Kups - Well, we tried to "Prince it up" a bit here. Really, it boils down to a few Linn Drum samples and a wah-wah pedal. Other than that, not terribly Princely. Still, not a bad tune.

Paco del Stinko - Didn't like this at first, but it's definitely a grower. The middle part's especially good and unexpected.

Praise Muzak - Liked the atonal, almost tribal, nature of this one. I picture all of you singing and playing this 'round the campfire just before murdering Sharon Tate (but I kid Sharon Tate). Is that a trumpet in the right channel?

Bob and the Boggles - Nice straightforward song. What is that thing that sounds like a mellotron (or is that a mellotron)? Good job.

Macaque Attack - Really liked the performance/arrangement on this one. Clever lyrics too.

Ian Martyn - Interesting approach—a cappella. You've got more guts than I do. I bury my voice like a dead body whenever possible. Another set of clever lyrics. Good stuff.

Klausse - You guys playing live? Pretty fantastic chops here. Song's a bit short and seems to have little to do with the title. But still, good work.

The Magnetic Letters (feat. J.C. Carcharias) - Wow. My favorite thus far. Great voice and arrangement. That is a damn hit you've got there.

Pepper John - So, is this you and Johnny Cashpoint? This is fantastic. Loved the spoken word part just fine (I kinda got the feeling that people weren't exactly mad for it). You guys should do this more often. Excellent.

Bombernaughts - Loved this too. Fantastic pop song. Kinda like Stereolab meets The Human League (hope you don't take that as an insult; I thought they were brilliant). Another damn hit. I'm beginning to hate you people. ; )

Inflatable Vegetables - Great work as well. Loved the Bowie-esque-ness of this without it being really derivative when you actually listen to the words and music. Maybe bring the vocals up just a hair. Other than that, fantastic stuff.

The Overambitious - Great stuff. A wonderful mini-epic. Well-paced and wonderfully arranged. This is gonna be a tough week to choose (even with so many votes).

Saltwinter Waltz - Beautifully gentle song and performance. Making my choice that much harder. Thanks a lot.
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Re: But all I found was your song (Looking 4 U reviews)

Post by The Overambitious »

I didn't have a lot of time to review, so sorry for the short reviews. I thought everyone did well for the most part, I enjoyed hearing the many fun poppy synth songs.

Macaque Attack - I like the guitar in the beginning of the song. Something about the duel melody is a bit unsettling, and the song seems a bit all over the place. If you meant to do that, then good job.

Klausse - Interesting. Not really my style. I can appreciate the uneasiness of the song, but I personally think the vocal style of the song doesn’t help it’s cause.

The Magnetic Letters - I love the happy bouncy style of this! I think the singer really compliments this song. I like the mix of synth and piano as well. Great job!

The Overambitious - This song is one that I wrote a while ago, but never finished. I decided to throw in that rise to make the song a little more interesting. Hope you guys enjoy.

Inflatable Vegetables - Not bad. Guitar work wasn’t bad. Over all it was a good song.

Paco del Stinko - Honestly, the drums and guitar didn’t work well together. It felt really off. And starting the song off with the topic sets the bar low. The bridge was the best part in my opinion.

The Go-Kups - I liked the claps in the song. The guitar at the end I thought sounded good. I also liked the static at the end, kind of a throw back in a way. The use of the synth pad was a nice touch. Good job.

Saltwater Waltz - The singers voice seemed a little masked and drowned out. Maybe bringing the highs up a bit could help. I liked the harmony. Very calming feel to this song. Good job!

Praise Muzak - Interesting. What I think is a horn doesn’t add any benefits what so ever. The backing vocals sound all over the place. It just sounded eclectic.

Pepper John - The entire song could be warmer. Singer sounds good. Not bad.

Bob and the Boggles - Starting the song with the title sets the bar low for me. The piano’s highs could be lowered. Also the white noise that comes in with the horn is very distracting.

Bombernaughts - Ok, so I really like the unique style in the vocals. This song gives off a space feel to me for some reason, which isn’t bad! The ending was interesting. I have to give you props for doing the negative end of “Looking 4 U.” Great job.

Ian Martyn - I love the simplicity of this song. Great job!
|-/
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Re: But all I found was your song (Looking 4 U reviews)

Post by j$ »

The Overambitious wrote: Pepper John - The entire song could be warmer...
Would you have time to clarify what you mean by 'warmer'? Do you mean the mix? Or that it's emotionally cold, you couldn't connect with it? or something else? I think you're probably right to some extent if it's any or all of these but it would really help to be sure what areas I need to try and improve in/ That said I'm a cold f*cker by nature :)

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Re: But all I found was your song (Looking 4 U reviews)

Post by The Overambitious »

Sorry, could have clarified what I meant by "warmer." I meant that the song could maybe use its highs being a little more upfront, adding a crisper sound. Maybe try boosting the highs when mastering? Mastering's not my forte, so there could be more efficient ways of doing this :)
|-/
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Re: But all I found was your song (Looking 4 U reviews)

Post by fodroy »

This is my first fight in quite a while. It's good to see new faces, and a few old, here at Songfight. Overall, I really enjoyed the variety in this fight. It speaks to a healthy community that so many songwriters are submitting so many different types of songs. Speaking of which, here we go...

Macaque Attack: This one's got a nice vibe and cool electro flares to compliment the ruddy acoustic core. The bluesy guitar in the middle of the song took me out a bit, but this is a very strong song to nod your head to on a slow afternoon.

Pepper John: I always appreciate some J$ tinny production. Very ghostly-performance all-around and really captures the dark road trip of the lyrics. I love that it always maintains a deathly calm rather than reveal it's inner venom.

Saltwinter Waltz: This has been a very easy-going fight so far. This one does folk-waltz nicely with the kind of quiet vocals that I always enjoy and with lovely, clever lyrics as well. This is a real contender.

The Overambitious: This sounds very radio-friendly. I don't know though, I don't actually listen to top 40. I don't mean that in a bad way. This is very beautifully performed and produced in a way that accentuates the mournfulness of the melody and the keys. When the beat and the ahhhhahhhhhahhhhs kick in, I bought it, though the synth strings took it a little over the top, not that the top needs to always stay on. Whatever the top conceals needs oxygen, and this song certainly receives that.

Klausse: This is pretty much exactly what I was expecting from a band called Klausse. The vomitasticness of the vocals rules. I wanted this to go longer and burn louder and build into some super-wretchy catharsis, but i still enjoyed it in its brevity. Songfight needs more abrasive music.

Bombernaughts: The choir over the bouncing synth rules. This is straight-up Miami Vice Goth. Definitely a contender.

Inflatable Vegetables: This makes me want to race speed boats. I like the swirly sound of the lead guitar. I'm not sure how much this is supposed to conjure Bowie in charge of a butt rock band. It's fun to imagine though.

Praise Muzak: This is my song. A lot of people (2) mentioned the trumpet. Yeah, it sounds shitty. When I record a song I think of the result as a document of the creative process. My urge was to use my old shitty trumpet whose keys are stuck in place from years of disuse, so I did. My guitar is almost as shitty, but my philosophy is to try to make something whole out of broken things. This is not an apology, just some context. I enjoyed working on this song, and I hope to find time to record one or two more this summer.

Paco Del Stinko: Enjoyable rock and roll with nerdy vocals. I think this one could stand to embrace either brevity or more structural variety.

Bob and the Boggles: This is the most kid-friendly band name. This sounds straight up TMBG. I enjoy that and the muted keys that come in just before the synth solo. I really enjoy the relaxedness of this and how that makes the "looking for you" seem more simple than it is. It's almost as if the weight of looking for someone gets lost in a delirium. Nicely done.

The Go-Kups: This feels like a Dire Straits demo or something with the drum machine. Best guitar solo thus far. I can see the music video and the band surrounded in black with neon-filtered lights and lots of cuts to the sunglassioed band members belting the lyrics into the camera.

Ian Martyn: Alright, Billy Joel. I'm very much not a fan of anything a capella or anything in the same neighborhood as barbershop quartets. I really have nothing to say about this other than that I appreciate its brevity. It's not you, it's me.

The Magnetic Letters ft. JCC: This song is nuts. It's not my thing, but I appreciate how hard it leans into the cheesy dance club in heaven trope. It stays catchy without getting annoying. The low, half-rapped bits got a little laugh, but I appreciate the silliness of the style and how the lyrics flirt with mourning in a very silly/sincere way.

I think that's everybody. Let me know if I missed your song.
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Re: But all I found was your song (Looking 4 U reviews)

Post by j$ »

fodroy wrote: Inflatable Vegetables: ...Bowie in charge of a butt rock band ...
Ha! Best compliment-review evah! Who wouldn't want to be in that band? Even under ZomBowie ... oh did I just give the 'Zombeavers' guys their next title accidentally?

Also, where the HELL ya been, Dan? I can only hold the fort *so* long ... :)

j$
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Re: But all I found was your song (Looking 4 U reviews)

Post by fodroy »

j$ wrote:Also, where the HELL ya been, Dan? I can only hold the fort *so* long ... :)

j$
I've been making quite a bit of music under the Praize Muzak over the last couple years, but in a very solipsistic manner. It took a while to feel comfortable enough with a title to join. Anyway, here I am. I hope to songfight some this summer between periods of travel. I'm glad you're still here, J$.
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Re: But all I found was your song (Looking 4 U reviews)

Post by Niveous »

Good to see you Dan!
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Re: But all I found was your song (Looking 4 U reviews)

Post by HeuristicsInc »

Yup, there's a few of us still around from the old days :)
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Re: But all I found was your song (Looking 4 U reviews)

Post by fodroy »

Hey! What's up, guys? 8-)
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Re: But all I found was your song (Looking 4 U reviews)

Post by GravityJohnson »

Hi all,

Some mini-reviews and thoughts from me. Good work everyone on another excellent fight.

Bob and the Boggles - Catchy little number with serious ear-worm potential. Would work great as a kids theme TV theme tune. I can't quite work out why I've listened to this 4 times in a row, but I have.

Klausse - I think there's enough catchy riffage and content in this to be comfortably a three minute song. With the way it cuts off I get the impression that this is actually the first section of a longer song. If it is then please post the full version for us sometime :)

Praise Muzak - Hmmm, not sure about this. I like the idea of the lazy, end of a late night, about to pass out kinda vibe, but this feels a little too disjointed for my own taste.

Paco del Stinko - Quite like the track overall, although it feels to me like it needs filling out in with some more instrumentation, be it another guitar, a pad/synth, something. Having said that, it's really catchy and I do like the middle section and lot.

Bombernaughts - What a start and what an end, love it! This has a Heaven 17 vibe about it somehow, really cool. Vocal is really nicely done and a great choice of instruments to get that 80's feel. Good stuff!

Ian Martyn - Well, firstly I have to say that this is a brave and interesting move, and one that has been executed very well indeed. I think it was right to keep it short. Would make a nice album closer type song. Great stuff.

Inflatable Vegetables - Pretty good and catchy fare. Nicely sung and performed, particularly nice middle section. Somehow doesn't quite grab me, but that's just personal taste. All in all a very decent offering.

Pepper John - This is really good, I love the ponderous nature of it. The spoken section in the middle adds to the overall air of mystery in the song. Very nicely sung and played.

The Magnetic Letters (feat. J.C. Carcharias) - Not my cup of tea at all, but I have to say that you've nailed the genre. Particularly good voice, overall a very catchy number, good work.

The Go-Kups - Sounds like a song that'd play in a montage in the middle of an 80's movie :)

Macaque Attack - That'll be us. A bit of a change of style again.

The Overambitious - I really like the mournful sadness of this in the first half, it has really captured a good atmosphere. The feeling changes dramatically in that middle section. This could have actually been longer and made into a bit of an epic, with a longer build up to the louder middle section, rather than the step change. All in all this is a fine piece of work, nice one.

Saltwinter Waltz - The vocal, although beautifully sung, is lacking a touch of clarity and sparkle. That said, I absolutely love this track. The arrangement, choice of instrument, and performance is just great. Lyrically excellent and a very nice take on the given title. The atmosphere of melancholy longing that is generated is perfectly positioned with the lyrics. Truly awesome stuff. This week for me it's an easy choice, this quite comfortably takes my vote.

Great work one and all, but particularly to Pepper Jane and Micah Sommer for their splendid Saltwinter Waltz offering.
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Re: But all I found was your song (Looking 4 U reviews)

Post by PepperJane »

Wow - considering the glowing praise, and anticipated shortcomings (I still record vox + ac guitar at once on my phone, usually hurriedly) ... I'd better have a listen. Hmm, this 14 hr bus trip might help ... hello Australia!
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Re: But all I found was your song (Looking 4 U reviews)

Post by BobandtheBoggles »

Hi everyone,

This is my first time posting on the boards here. I've followed Songfight! for a while and finally bought myself some real deal recording equipment after using an old pc wand mic for about 10 years. I'm still learning the subtleties of recording, but everyone's got such nice stuff going on here that I think I'll be able to hone my skill in no time just through osmosis. I tried to be fair with my criticism. I'm a sarcastic dude and I think it kinda shows in some of my reviews. So.. no hard feelings anyone.

Thanks for listening and the constructive feedback,
Bob

Bombernaughts- It was kind of catchy at first, but after the melody kept repeating all i could think of was the remake of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory "Oompah Loompah Doopity Doo". Haha maybe that's not a bad thing.

Bob and the Boggles- Hi, nice to meet you all.

The Go-Kups- What's that your sayin? Really, to me the guitar and vocal pitch/ crunchy effect are so similar that it's hard to distinguish between the two and hear what you're singing about. That being said, I like the guitar effect during each of the verses. It kind of reminds me of "Under the Milky Way" by The Church.

Ian Martyn- It's no Beach Boys. A capella shit is really hard. While harmonizing solely with yourself, I find it very hard to not get that robot harmonic sound. Like when I've tried it in the past there's always one note that's slightly flat that throws the whole thing into discord. I feel that it happened to your song too, but I gotta give you props for making it sound more decent than I've been able to achieve.

Inflatable Vegetables- I think you should jack the vocals up and maybe add a little distortion to them to really drive home that ozzy feel. There's just a little something missing from that being an 80s hair metal piece.

Klausse- Don't eat the yellow snow.

Macaque Attack- This is pretty good. I suggest adding a little delay to the main vocal just because it sounds a little staccato against the flowy effects of the rest of the instruments. Otherwise, nice song!

The Magnetic Letters- Mmm got the house music feels. Brings back memories of my mom driving me to the mall and hearing "Come on Barbie, Let's go Party" on the radio. haha. Glad that's history.

The Overambitious- You too should turn down the high end on your piano. That repetitive high note becomes a bit obtrusive if you pay too much attention to it. Dig it for the most part though. Kind of sounds like a DDR song at the end.

Paco del Stinko- I'm glad I gave this a second listen. I honestly didn't care for it at first, mostly because it reminds me of a dad dancing around in a basement with an old stratocaster. But I think any dad ripping a guitar solo like that deserves some praise. Props for that.

Pepper John- There's something about musical stories that always lose my interest. It's not your fault. I don't know to this day what happened after the devil went down to Georgia looking for a soul.

Praise Muzak- It was fun at first kinda (old) Modest Mouse-esque. Then the guy singing into the toilet paper tube started to sound a little tired. Then I got tired.

Saltwinter Waltz- I really had to strain to make out the vocals which is a real shame, because I think the lead singer has a lovely voice that should be capitalized on. I have always wanted to own an accordion.
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Re: But all I found was your song (Looking 4 U reviews)

Post by BobandtheBoggles »

I feel like an old man who doesn't know how to work the internet, but I'm not sure how to reply with the quote. I'm sure it says somewhere, but I'll just take my chances doing this instagram style for the moment.

@gramparsons: The sound you are hearing is an old casiotone keyboard. And thanks!

@theOverambitious: I hope my wordplay was enough to raise the bar back up a little bit in my favor, but if not.. c'est la vie. Ps I think that white noise sound you are hearing is actually the drum track. It a high hat cymbal being hit to help separate the musical interlude from the verse. I could be wrong though.
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Re: But all I found was your song (Looking 4 U reviews)

Post by Secretions »

gramparsons wrote: Bombernaughts - Loved this too. Fantastic pop song. Kinda like Stereolab meets The Human League (hope you don't take that as an insult; I thought they were brilliant). Another damn hit. I'm beginning to hate you people. ; )
GravityJohnson wrote: Bombernaughts - What a start and what an end, love it! This has a Heaven 17 vibe about it somehow, really cool. Vocal is really nicely done and a great choice of instruments to get that 80's feel. Good stuff!

Ian Martyn - Well, firstly I have to say that this is a brave and interesting move, and one that has been executed very well indeed. I think it was right to keep it short. Would make a nice album closer type song. Great stuff.
The nerd inside me is forcing me to point out a few related coincidences here:

* The Human League was initially founded by Ian Craig Marsh and Martyn Ware
* After their second album, Ian and Martyn left and formed Heaven 17
* We have an Ian Martyn in the house

Is this coincidence?!?

...

...

...probably, but I'll go edit wikipedia just in case. :twisted:
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Re: But all I found was your song (Looking 4 U reviews)

Post by anti-m »

Ooh, this is a good fight! I'm loving all the ladies on this round. (HELLLOOOO LADIES!)
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Re: But all I found was your song (Looking 4 U reviews)

Post by genecawley »

The nerd inside me is forcing me to point out a few related coincidences here:

* The Human League was initially founded by Ian Craig Marsh and Martyn Ware
* After their second album, Ian and Martyn left and formed Heaven 17
* We have an Ian Martyn in the house

Is this coincidence?!?
--Wow. If so, that's a hell of a coincidence.
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Re: But all I found was your song (Looking 4 U reviews)

Post by MicahSommer »

Bob and the Boggles - Lyrics are pretty good, though the vocal melody is uninspired. Despite the seemingly simple arrangement, there are some compelling things going on in the background which I like.

Bombernaughts - Well performed and well produced, though it feels very cold - which may very well be intentional. Good melodies.

The Go-Kups - Love it when the vocal harmony comes in. Nice guitar solos too. On the whole I like the feel, though it’s maybe a little mushy… too much reverb? The opposite of Bombernaughts’ problem.

Ian Martyn - Props for going the a cappella route. Were the staggered entrances of the background voices at the beginning of each phrase intentional? (“D-d-d-doooooooo.”) For me it was really distracting and kept me from enjoying the song as much as I wanted to, especially since the D sounds are so hard. Otherwise, it’s a good one. I loved the little tenor coda.

Inflatable Vegetables - Solid tune, with a similar pounding intensity to your “Million Watts” Nur Ein entry, though this one is not quite as compelling as that one. Still, I love the snarl in your voice, the guitar work, and the bump in intensity when you reach the chorus. Great work.

Klausse - Voice gives me the creeps, and not in a good way. Not my preferred style, though I can appreciate your guitar skills, and it’s well-produced.

Macaque Attack - Pros: Great instrumental performance - I like the acoustic guitar, the understated percussion, and whatever real or virtual instrument plays during the breaks. Cons: The general stalker-ish vibe from the lyrics, and the energy drop in the chorus.

The Magnetic Letters (feat. J.C. Carcharias) - A lot of European retro-pop stylings going on in this fight. This one does it well. I love the beep-beep riff in the chorus, and the chorus vocal melody is great as well. Female voice is great, male voice I am… not so fond of. But overall, a fine tribute to this Torsten guy. Whether real or fictional, he sounds like he could sure light up a dance floor.

The Overambitious - Great atmosphere in the beginning; lovely piano and ambient sounds. The drums sound distant and muffled when they come in the first time. But everything is suitably epic during the epic part. Not sure about the weird coda; I would have preferred a return of the piano from the beginning. Oh and this might just be me, but I really don’t like when the lead vocal has delay/echo on it. Plain old reverb works just fine for me, thanks!

Paco del Stinko - Sure, it kicks into suitably high gear for the guitar solo, but until then, this song just kind of putters along lazily. There’s nothing specifically wrong with it, it just doesn’t hold my interest.

Pepper John - Nice collaboration - the voice and guitar are well-mixed with the other instruments, which provide a fitting backdrop to the lyrics (though here in the US, we measure speed in miles per hour, and we just call it “gas” - not that an Aussie and a Brit would know ;) ).

Praise Muzak - I started out not liking it. I ended up kind of liking it a little bit. The slow tempo and frequent pauses in the vocal lend a feeling of “get on with it.” But I like that tiny vocal duet at the very end quite a bit.

Saltwinter Waltz - PJ provided me with a lovely song to noodle all over on my accordion. I’m not sure the end result is any more compelling than her original recording, but I had a good time at least.

AWARDS
Best Guitar Solo - The Go-Kups
Best Rhyme - Inflatable Vegetables for Nature hates a vacuum/Naked in the bathroom
Euro-est - Bombernaughts
Post-apocalyptic-est - Pepper John
Last edited by MicahSommer on Wed Jun 08, 2016 9:48 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: But all I found was your song (Looking 4 U reviews)

Post by ice weasel »

Quick review of the songs I voted for:

magnetic letters: love it, classic 90s disco, impeccably done. singer is amazing.

overambitious: great dynamic change from sensitive artist to gutpunch. the outro is unnecessary. i think it would have more effect to end on the "i should've been looking 4 U" final line.

ian martyn: sweet sound and catchy.

macaque attack: the layered vocals are a nice touch, and of course i like the fake-accordian ending.
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Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 11:33 am
Instruments: Bass, keyboards, singin', guitar
Submitting as: Johnny Cashpoint
Location: London, Engerllaaannnddd
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Re: But all I found was your song (Looking 4 U reviews)

Post by j$ »

W.A.I.L. I.A.A.C.

I guess I must have been in a bad mood when I was listening to this fight because in retrospect my reviews seem very harsh. I tried to tone them down a bit; bottom line appears to be these are all good songs, but there does seem to be a little complacency in the approaches. Then again, it's not like I bring anything exciting or new to the table, so probably best just to ignore me!


Bob & Buggles – messy, silly but it has a lot of charm. I really like the voice and the synth-reedy thing. It’s a good mix, just a few things slightly out of time not quite in tune with each other? Anyway, it’s a song that reaks of potential and while I’m not sure it stands up to repeated listens on its own - lyric’s not strong enough? - if this came up on an album of your stuff, I think it would fit right in.

Bombernauts – Well, hello, the 80s, how you been? The synth-bass being louder in the mix than the vocal is a bit weird but nothing distracting. The vocal is great. Crying out for a big 80s synth-pop chorus, though the bit I’m calling the bridge (with the overlapping harmonies/BVs) kind of hints at it. Yeah, that was a fun listen. I would listen to it again and wouldn’t switch the radio if it came on so that’s a big compliment from me.

Go Kups – synth claps float my boat so you almost have me even before the song comes in. Ah, boo, to these ears those ‘falsetto’ harmonies in the chorus are a bit sour and importantly drown out the overall melody. Actually you could probably just get away with mixing them quieter than the lead vocal at that point. Great overall atmosphere / feel. Also that’s a fine guitar solo. – you obviously think so as you play it twice :) But yeah, I just can’t hear past the over-loud BVs. I can’t hear the chorus melody, how can I sing along?

Ian Martyn – those a cappella Bvs are a bit off at times, I think - or at least clunky in their execution. The vocal on the other hand is gorgeous. The music, when it kicks in, though efficient, doesn’t interest me too much. Like the lyric very much. Sounds like it could have come from the Rocky Horror Picture Show ;) The bass line is very sexy which is probably why it’s mixed a little loud ? Yeah, this is probably one of those ‘the song doesn’t grab me personally but that’s no bad thing given my personal taste’ moments. I have a few of those, as you’ll see from my other reviews this fight. Bridge is probably my favourite part.

Klausse – Did you just say ‘songfight … 1234’? Ugh. I love me some grindy metal fun. The music is great. The vocal, though well done, not so, IMO – it’s just the dragged out phrasing, like you don’t have enough to say? I know that may be unfair but hey, that’s what I was thinking and then it was over, so what else can I say? Do more of this, please; but take a bit more care with the words? Whether or not we can hear them, we can hear when they don’t feel like a good stylistic choice, would be my harsh criticism …

Big Mac Attack- pretty! That’s a weird (but excellent) choice on the accordion-y synth at 0.45. Actually adds something intriguing and new to what could be a ‘good but nothing new’ melody / chord progression. I’m starting to think at 1.30 you’ve forgotten to write a chorus. I like the ‘improvised’, jazz-rock feel to the arrangement; but not If it’s trying to hide that the song doesn’t really go anywhere … ah, Ok at 3.05 I realise that what I thought was the bridge is the B-part … erm, this is too long, very smooth listen but too long.

Magnetic Letters – Did anyone actually ask for the 90s Dance revival? Was there a petition I missed? Tee hee. Yeah, this is impressive but I didn’t like this sound first time round so you’re probably gonna struggle to win me around. The whole ‘rhythm in Heaven’ is not an approach that I am going for. Sorry, this is coming over much meaner than I intend it to; this is a very good song, very well put together and full of charm; but bottom line it feels a bit pastiche-y to me- then again I still have nightmares of the 90s music scene…

Overambitiousness
– OK so deliberately over-cruel review time - Sensitive piano? Check. Gorgeous vocal singing words that don’t actually mean anywhere near as much as they appear to want to? Check. Slow drums starting and stopping to give much need dynamic? Check. All we need is for this to gear-change up in the last minute and we will have Gary Jules … oh there we go. A minute early! Brilliantly done but I just feel like I’m hearing an identikit ‘sensitive chart-stomper’ construction not a strong song in its own right, right down to the false end. Sorry that’s not helping, I know. I’ll say again, brilliantly done but not my bag. *shrug* it’s not like I know what I’m talking about, right?

Paco – Loving the chord progressions as always – flirting with the standards and taking them into slightly off-kilter places. Vocal sounds good and top indulgent fun guitar solo-ing as usual. I don’t think the chorus is strong/different enough to lift this up into a Paco great but it is of a quality I have come to expect.

Pepper John – that’s me and Pepper Jane. I’m glad that people don’t seem to mind the mix too much, given the four hours in which I did all my parts and mixed before the deadline. I don’t drive but I kind of heard a somehow chilled-out Mad Max / Road Warrior post-apocalyptic vibe, which is what I went for. The vocal sample is part of a ‘How to Start a Happening’ recording. Hey you didn’t want to hear a guitar solo by me there, right?

Praise Musak
– Great lyric! I love me some lo-fi bonkers. I can’t decide whether I like or hate the backing vocals but I love the trumpety thing. I would have ended it at the French fries couplet. Or rather on ‘than living without you’ and cut the rest of the end and possibly dropped a verse or two earlier on. But I guess that wouldn’t fit the approach.

Micah & Pepper – Nice accordion – is it real? ;) The vocal is a little quiet in its performance? It’s hard to hear on occasion. Maybe the bass is getting in the way slightly. The Bvs sound great. It’s a lovely song overall.

I'm voting Bob & Buggles, Bombernauts and Praise Musak. Work that one out, right?

j$
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