When I saw this fight title, I worried right away that people would either do silly stuff (which I see has extended to the reviews
), or use the fact that it's a hard phrase to connect with (partly because of the name - "Frank" has a more specific set of connotations than, say, "John" or "Susan") as an opportunity to throw out ideas that wouldn't've worked with a stronger song concept. I guess the problem must be at least partly on my end, because while the other reviewers enjoyed this week quite a bit, I couldn't even listen all the way half of the songs without skipping around and taking them in pieces, so add that caveat to my comments.
I never want to hear a harmonium-type synth sound again. Or another war-is-hell song.
Walt Cronin: Mastered really quiet and all in the left channel. Lyrics could've used a few more drafts and a vocabulary boost (too much "sad" and other "-ad" words).
EAandM: Good voice but pitchy. Very muffled recording/mixing except for the goddamn sound effects. Can't hear the song well enough behind the Satan-spawned machine guns to say much about it. Not a fun or pleasant cut.
Erin K: My initial reaction to this song was extremely hostile, partly because of the big explanatory posting (which I wouldn't have done), but I've softened toward it a bit, though I still think the concept is a huge overreach. However, I still just don't get the appeal of this stylistic approach - I understand minimalism, I understand cute, I understand the "plushie-concealing-a-switchblade" school of stylistic tension, but… I dunno. I will give props for an actual lyric this time and a fuller, more finished production, though that cymbal crash is just trolling the listener.
J$ - The spartan, gradually building production works quite well. Like the vocal harmonies. Your rhyming dictionary weeps for mercy.
One of the few stories this week that actually holds my interest. Falls apart a bit, but just a bit, in the bridge. Overall, I LOLed. VOTE.
Kasper: Vocal starts off okay then starts losing the key. Production is good conceptually but the sound lacks crispness. The breakdown was a nice thought, but had lots of little problems - the transition sounded accidental, and the electronic percussion sounded really canned next to the real percussion. The song itself isn't remarkable in either direction.
Jan Krueger: Nice singing, great harmonies except for a few wrong notes here and there. Singing was all on pitch and quite pleasant. I'm mentally putting a hand over the lyrical content as it's pretty much impossible for people to discuss corporate behavior dispassionately from either side these days.
Todd McHatton: Whoa, is this the same guy who did the wide-screen Brian Wilson fantasia for "Who Needs Sleep"? Another song that obsesses over a few phrases, another song about underpants. :-/ Nice guitars, percussion doesn't work quite as well. Nice atmosphere, it deserves more song. :-/
Menbah: cheesy production, thoroughly obnoxious lyrics - it's like Weird Al's reprobate meth-head cousin. I hate the stereotype that novelty songs excuse, or require, flat, canned-sounding production. There are moments that work, but the whole really doesn't for me.
Montana Fudge: Same guy as Moanin' Mississippi Fudge? Guitar is too far from the mic, vocals are outside of the singer's range. Lyrics go on far too long for what they're doing. The whoop and the "why does it hurt when I pee now", taken together, ruined my day.
NEW ERA: Only J-rock bands get to put their names in all caps, sorry.
Primitive, bare production - reverb and EQ are your friends. Singing is pitchy. A hardcore/thrash production would've sold this particular song much better.
Paco: could read the phone book and his vocals would still be engaging. Don't like the harmonium sound. Don't care for the deep flanging on the arpeggio guitar parts, but I like the harmonized analog synth on the breakdown. Song is pretty conventional musically (which is a surprise coming from this guy). Still, I would be happy to hear this pop up on the radio or on my iPod. VOTE.
Panna Cotta Army: The best of the depressing songs this fight. Very well-thought-out instrumentation - the lack of a bass instrument makes a conventional song sound less so, and the drums hold the bottom end together nicely. Pleasant and relaxing, doesn't sledgehammer the emotions like some songs this week do. Vocals could've been a bit further up in the mix, since you were singing quietly and gently. VOTE.
Ratt Poizon: I liked the sonic textures until the BELCH. As a general rule, children can get away with songs that feature food or animals; adults, not so much unless the song is GREAT. Not subtle enough to work as a texture exploration and not enough song there to work as a song. You could've gone the Zappa route and saved it with some instrumental flash, that's another thought. The band name is impossible to take seriously.
Shatterfront: Drums drown out the guitars a bit. The Maynard James Keenan impression (?) doesn't quite make it. The phrase "the man" has been beaten to death - nowadays it makes me think of undergraduate "anarchists" trendily going to protests between classes. Can't hear the lead vocals very well during the loud parts - what's with the Muppet backing vocals? I skipped ahead to the ending because someone else mentioned it; I like, but it doesn't fit with the rest of the song.
Thornberry: Sounds a lot like Mansun. Credit for the ambition but the execution, esp the vocals, not QUITE there. Nice playing and recording for the most part. Another slight ding for the alternately shapeless and angsty lyrics on general principle. It's almost like Elton John doing emo.
Torrentz - Are you a musical act or a warez site? The straining tone of the first lead voice wears out its welcome REALLY fast. Would British gangsta rap be chav rap? Vocal in the second verse isn't actively repellent but still not great. The lyrics don't work for me - I can see where you're TRYING for gritty, but metaphors like "fat man's underwear" sabotage it. The production succeeds at what it's trying to do. As far as I can tell.
TV's Kyle: Slightly better production and writing than Menbah along the exact same lines. The nonsensical juxtapositions don't hold together - even nonsense songs need some sort of internal logic. Solo is about 3/8 of a beat off-tempo.
Weakest Suit: This song is very "open mike night" to me, especially the "c'mon!" A few bum notes in the vocals. This song would have been stronger with a full band (and no "c'mon" ^^;). …Oh, so "Frank" is a girl? Not sure that adds much value, but points for trying to open up the song concept a bit.
The tune doesn’t stick in my mind much but it’s not really important when the concept is this strong – and you don’t want that getting distracted from. Bonus points for not whistling. If you promise to stop using PINK text when posting, then I’ll vote for this.
