I'll be your (Go Between reviews)

[ken]

Hi All,
Good fight this week. My reviews are based on a first listen using laptop speakers.

Boo Chin Balls: Welcome back! This starts off with a really good pop punk/ emo vibe and keeps the energy up throughout the song. It's a little quiet, so maybe try adding a maximizer to your output channel? The vocals echos are nice. Is there any bass on this track or am I not hearing it in my laptop speakers?

Brown Word and the Big Whine: Keeping the energy up. This meets the optional challenge. It is bouncy and emphasized the quarter notes. It felt a little flat to me and I tuned out a bit as the song went on. Maybe have some elements that change up during different parts to grab the listeners ear?

Corgi Wearing Sunglasses: Woof! Good dog. This is a solid track, with good harmonies. Something about the energy of all the parts doesn't quite sync up for me. I'm not sure why that is though. The guitar solo is very good. Lots to like in this song.

Duncan Martin: I like the almost jazzy intro. Sounds like there are a lot of cool parts going on, but they all kind of mush together so I can't make them out. Spending more time eqing and panning could help with that. I like Reese's pieces, and how you rhymed it with Anthony Kiedis.

heine: Great guitar intro. Super hooky. Guitars sound really good. This guitar hook reminds me a bit of Wanted Dead or Alive by Bon Jovi. I'm waiting for the drums to kick in and then they do! Nice. I like the dynamics between the sections.

Jeff DeSantis: I feel like we're on a bit of a early 90s metal run and this is the band's breakout ballad. Maybe a bit like LA Guns? Also, it reminds me of a track from Sean Lennon's album Into the Sun. Maybe together it is like if Sean Lennon sang an 80s metal ballad? None of this is very helpful, but just know that I'm enjoying this track and suspect it will get better on repeats listens.

Joy Majestic: This the instant band I was part of this week. It was a good collaboration. I programmed the drums and mixed. Johnny Cashpoint wrote the lyrics and sang. Micah Sommersmith played bass and sang the back up vocals. JP played all the guitars. The solo is great.

Night Sky: Love me some bouncy piano! Are those saxophone stabs in the background? I think the vocals could be a bit louder. They get just a little lost in the mix. Maybe I just can't hear it, but I'd like a more distinct bass line. I feel like if there was a jazzy walking bass line this song would be a lot stronger. The bouncy outro is great too. Way to nail the optional challenge.

Sly Eli: I really like the guitar tone here. The jazzy, yet contemporary rock sound is good. It kind of reminds me of John Mayer. Very smooth overall. Nice use of synth pads in the background. My main criticism is that the guitar is slightly louder and in the way of the vocal and it is distracting. Otherwise, a really top entry for this fight.

Sweeney Toad: I'm impressed this is just vocals and minimal bass. I think it would be nice if the bass was fuller since there is a lot of room for low frequencies when there is only one low end instrument. Oh, nice job bringing in more instruments as the song develops.

Tomdg: I really like the combination of rhythms you use in this song. It makes for a compelling background to your vocals. Some of the sung vocals could be more in pitch. The spoken parts are really tight. The breakdown at the end seems a bit sudden and tacked on to me, but by the end makes sense as an ending.

Vermillion: The way this song breaks out in the chorus is fantastic. I especially like the guitar line through and after the chorus. Erin vocals are as solid as ever, straddling the line between sweet and tough. The chorused electric piano give a bit of a retro vibe, so while this song may skew a little 80s, it doesn't sound like it is try to be vintage. The breakdown for this could have stayed mellow a lot longer before the guitar kicked back in. Just let it groove more and fade out into the groove...

Ween Bet, Go!: This is so poppy. I really like it. It sounds a bit like a late 90s, early 00s throwback, reminding me a bit about my favorite song nobody else seems to remember, Nine Days - Absolutely (Story of a Girl). I would have gone to see this band play when I was in college for sure. The vocals now remind me a bit of Michael Penn, and then others from the 90s. I hope I get this in a coverfight someday.

What Larks!: This sounds great. I like the full, lush arrangement. Maybe the vocals are just a little bit low in the mix? Not much else to say. This is very good.

WreckdoM: I think we are lucky that Wreckdom is often the last song in the list alphabetically. They are always a palette cleanser that wakes up my ears with unexpected sounds. Thank you for being you.

[Lunkhead]

Vermillion wins!

[fluffy]

Congrats to Vermillion!

[MellyP]

Vermillion. Loved your work here. Special shout out to Ween Bet, Go! for giving me chills when you hit the chorus. Nice work all!