Berkeley Social Scene - This is an unusually warm, intimate sound for BSS, at least from what I've heard. The lyrics are a little weak in places; for example, "Is it a three? Is it a ten?" doesn't add much emotionally or even rhetorically. But I notice this only in contrast to the setting. The musical performances are sensitive, the vocals attractive and moving, the composition pretty and interesting, the arrangements dynamic yet subdued. This song creates a mood. Easily a vote.
Darrick Lucas - Ah, Darrick Lucas. I posted your review to the Justin Beiber fan site, because they get a lot more traffic; just look for the most popular thread. Actually that's not true; I was going to review your song there, but you seem to have the all answers you need already, and besides, you don't listen so good (and please don't bother correcting my grammar!), so I decided not to bother. -- OK, OK, seriously. I'll just put your attitude in the forums down to Asperger's or bad drugs or some other source of social ineptitude, and review you anyway. It's a pretty good song, in a drifting, lounge-music sort of way. The harmonies are rich, the melody varied and evocative, if not particularly memorable, and the accompaniment well-designed, notably the repeating flute line that marks a pause. The phrasing is a little drawn out for my tastes, even for this genre; it sounds like you're waiting for praise. The singing tone is very good in the main register, but it's uneven in the lower registers, and sometimes pitchy. The piano stylings are not stellar, but they get the job done. You need a little work on recording the flute and french horn (or whatever it is), bringing them closer to the mic to pick up their warmth, and you need to mix and produce them better. (I infer from some of the breathing that it's a real flute, but I could be wrong.) They could use some ambience so they don't sound like they're in a living room, and they need to be tighter and more present and responsive to the song, so they don't feel like they're being dragged along with it. I spent this much time on you because your song shows musical promise, but I worry it's all just going to slide off as you explain to me why I'm wrong on every point. In that case, of course, I won't waste any more of your time.
For Rachael - The singing is stylized to the point of being eccentric and distracting. The words send disturbingly mixed messages, and if they have anything to do with "A Scale of 1 to 10," I missed it. I like the moodiness of the acoustic guitar, and I like the way you completely replace it with a thickly distorted guitar, devoid of rhythmic features, for contrast. The beat box starts to wear on me though.
Grill Shotz - This seems like a more economical approach to the genre than most. The repeating guitar is not as hooky as I might expect, and the relative silence makes the background seem strangely transparent and uneventful. The chorus, with its edgy guitars and layered and echoed vocals, is much more sonically rewarding. The vocal delivery throughout is punchy, rhythmically imaginative, and generally convincing. One of the better songs in the fight.
James Owens - I tossed this one off quickly. It's derivative, the lyrics involve bad philosophy about Wittgenstein's "beetle in a box" problem (basically), I messed up the stereo placements and some of the mixing, and yes, I see now that it desperately needs a change of arrangement after the flute solo. But I got it in before the deadline and still kept my day job.
Ledford - The arrangement certainly has vision, although I don't know why you send the bass down a semitone just to make it flat. I do like the way the guitar caresses the vocal lines in places. A very sparse sound, and a song that does not take itself too seriously; bright and clean in the recording and mixing. I have the impression the singing is not trying to be extremely accurate. Instead of eleven, this one references going to zero, which is different.
Lightning Shark - I love this one, it's just so out there. The Dick-Dale slide-in on the second guitar sets the mood, then finds a groove in reckless howling, while the rhythm, bass and drums force the song forward like there's no other direction. The urgent lead vocals with their stressed scan, the madcap chorus, the general intensity, all make for a gripping experience. I haven't heard a scream that good since The Beatles covered "Twist and Shout." For sure, a vote.
Paco del Stinko - Along with the usual expert performance and recording, this works many thoughtful parts together, integrating them perfectly into a smooth texture. The deft lead guitar playing deserves all the notice it's getting, but let's not underrate that clever standing background lick in the verses, and the way it plays off against the bass punctuations, and the way the synthesizer is sprinkled so judiciously and tastefully in all the right places. So detailed, and yet it seems so effortless.
Paul Hubert - This heads straight into Dylaneqsue folk in places, but the chorus is more in the pop/rock vein. I think the folk aspects come off better; they feel more natural, and they play well with the guy-and-guitar recording. The overall song suffers a bit from the musical ambiguity. If you wanted to take this on the road you would have to go for crisper, more detailed guitar playing. As for the lyrics, which tend to take centre stage under these circumstances, they have some good moments, but also some places where they feel like they've been said before, which hampers their effectiveness.
toby roktot - This gentle, tuneful song has potential, but the recording hides it. Everything feels crowded into a tiny recording booth in the middle of my head, except for an almost imperceptible jangly noise way out in left field. there's also some imprecision in the ryhthms between the various instruments, and some muddiness in the guitar playing (I think you're hitting some strings that the chord books mark with an 'X'). If you can address these technical problems (and the tuning, of course), your composition and arrangement will come through better.
