Nur Ein XVII Round Three "Can't Let It Go"

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Re: Nur Ein XVII: Round Three "Can't Let It Go"

Post by arby »

VP is in with my shadow featuring guest backing vocals by Ben Krieger on the chorus. Whew! As usual, a last minute production. :lol:
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Re: Nur Ein XVII: Round Three "Can't Let It Go"

Post by adamadamant »

I had a super busy week at work followed by a heavy cold on the weekend, not much inspiration for my song and no collaborators either. So I'm bowing out at this point. It's been super fun to get back into Nur Ein though and great to hear all your lovely songs again! Good luck everyone for this round.
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Re: Nur Ein XVII: Round Three "Can't Let It Go"

Post by grumpymike »

the lowest bitter wrote:30 degree heat
Metric lyrics? Instant fail.
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Re: Nur Ein XVII: Round Three "Can't Let It Go"

Post by Cybronica »

Mandibles did get a shadow in, and it’s about about belaying and rock climbing, and the perils they add to a relationship… the guest vocals are in the chorus, and sung by none other than Truth’s wife!
“It's like opera for toddlers or something.” -furrypedro
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Re: Nur Ein XVII: Round Three "Can't Let It Go"

Post by BoffoYux »

BYD is in, with a guest appearance by Toni and Cal Morgan!
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Re: Nur Ein XVII: Round Three "Can't Let It Go"

Post by BoffoYux »

It's Nur Ein Time! 15 original songs titled 'Can't Let It Go' Start at 9pm est.
Drop in and Chat with the artists
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KepjZZ5tua0

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Re: Nur Ein XVII: Round Three "Can't Let It Go"

Post by vowlvom »

Here, take some reviews, because I feel like crap today and need a distraction. Strong round!

The Alleviators - I already mentioned in the discord that this reminds me of 'Stay' by Lisa Loeb, but really it's only the guitar part, and also I really like that song, so definitely not a complaint! Really like the way you use space in this one, the sparser verses are really effective and the snare-heavy drums and harmonies lift the chorus nicely. Well performed and written, nicely done.

Berkeley Social Scene - like the last two songs this has a nicely punchy mix and crunchy guitars, perhaps to a fault - I kinda feel like I've heard this before in the preceding rounds, although maybe that's just because I'm not used to three BSS songs in a row with the same lead singer. The harmonies are good though, the spoken-word bridge with the slide guitar is a nice change-up and I like the concept, that documentary is a fun inspiration!

Boffo Yux Dudes - likeable song and the chorus uses the extra vocals well and has a decent hook. The hoarding concept is pretty fun, although the concept feels a little stretched over the full song, some more specific / fun details might have helped.

Cavedwellers - I like that your guest vocalist got to take the lead for some sections, although she feels slightly lost in the mix compared to Truth's vox that cut through a lot better. The vocal melodies are catchy but the chorus feels like it's crying out for some harmonies too to really lift it (and for bonus challenge points). This leans into the pop side of Cavedwellers which is obviously my favourite side, but it feels like it's a couple of layers of polish short of its potential, somehow.

Elks of the Economy - really like the chorus on this one, and the layers of guest vocals work really well. Lots of nice ear candy, that pitch bend into the bridge is great. The lyrics are really lacking in anything interesting that sticks in the brain, which isn't a dealbreaker for a synthy pop song like this but I can imagine liking this a bit more if they had a little more going on.

Glennny - this really steps up a notch when those delayed / call-and-response-y harmonies come in. The rest of the song is okay, but the stalker story doesn't really have any surprises (although the "Oh I see" / OCD line is fun) and this one doesn't really stick in my head (unlike your chorus from the last round, which I will shout out here since I didn't write reviews for that round).

Jon Porobil - like that Nick Soma song from an earlier round, this puts its clunkiest lyric right at the start which makes it hard to ignore ("The glow of your symmetrical face"? This line should be in glennny's song instead). It's an admirably committed performance with the fast-lyric sections and mass of guest vocalists, although the campfire singalong vibes grate on me a little bit.

The Lowest Bitter - A+ liner notes, and I really like the way you've used the time signature, repeating vocal, dissonant guitar and that drunk lad prick on BVs to accentuate the anxiety in the lyrics. The bouncy synths still feel catchy, it's an unsettling pop song and I like it a lot.

Lunkhead - something about this song feels a little uninspired until the stop-start section with the inner critic cutting into the melody, which is a cool idea executed well. The harmonies give the rest of the song a lift but it's only really that one part that sticks with me.

Moss Palace - really excellent stuff, as usual. That soaring harmony at the end of each verse is lovely and I like the shift in the rhythm in the chorus. Very cinematic, and the tasteful lead guitar and unexpected addition of accordion towards the end both add a lot.

Nick Soma - lovely chorus, great use of harmonies and your voices sound so good together. The lyrics are sweet with some nicely specific, nostalgic detail - the jaffa cake line made me smile. The song feels a little simplistic maybe, I wouldn't mind a little extra melodic interest in the bassline maybe, or an additional instrument just adding a little extra, but the vibe does fit the lyrics well.

Vom Vorton - as per the liner notes, I'm working through some feelings here. I like how it came out, I've been meaning to do a song like this for a while where a slightly angular verse resolves into a big melodic chorus, and having TLB's harmonies in there really helps the chorus work I think.


Mandibles - really like the classic rock vibe and catchiness of the chorus, and the ooh-ooh verse harmonies are subtle and very effective. I like the breakdown but it feels like the drums should drop out entirely, they're in an odd "not quite sparse or busy enough to feel natural" limbo. Look at me critiquing drums now that I've had three lessons.

Rattlebox - loving your work, this is lo-fi powerpop gold. Somewhere between Big Star and Guided by Voices. Feels like the guest harmonies should have had some (more?) of the chorus / tape kinda FX on them to help them blend with the lead a bit more, but the ramshackle feel doesn't harm the song at all, I like this lots.

Virgo Power - drums are nice and punchy, but the Qchord (?) strums are frequently off the beat and it really takes me out of thge song. Obviously the parts without drums don't have that problem and fare better, but I don't think this is one of your best.
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Re: Nur Ein XVII: Round Three "Can't Let It Go"

Post by furrypedro »

Still waiting on scores from a few judges so I'll post these reviews to keep you going until we've triangulated the data.

I found this one interesting in that the challenge didn't specify that the guest had to be on backing vocals and yet that what so many of you did, leading to barely audible guests. But I guess that's partly on us judges for the challenge. Still, kudos to those of you who gave your guest a lead part as well.

Sad to see Adam go as I liked his last entry a lot.


Moss Palace: I'm not sure if this is the song that I enjoy the most this week, but there's no disputing the delivery and craft, which is a couple of notches above everyone else. The melody in lines like "Dig your way under, handcuffed to your sheets" is great, and lines like that make the picture you're painting more vivid, while augmented by the eclectic arrangement. Such a crisp recording too. Very classy track. On the strength of this track I'd be very surprised if you didn't win this year.

Alleviators: I made much of my proclivity for upbeat tunes earlier in the competition, but this is a fantastic example of how to do downbeat and melancholy and make it compelling. The minimialism here works so well because your vocal is really beautiful. The shuffling drums are a tasteful underpinning to the delicate chords, especially since so many other bands are playing such boring drum patterns. Nice harmonies, the mood of this suits them perfectly, and I'd like to hear you try more harmonies in future songs. The one tiny gripe is some slight timing issues creep in right towards the end of the song.

TLB: Love the big chorus with the odd number of bars and glitchy percussion. The middle section reminds me of the ending to "Introducing the Band" by Suede [/obscurebritpopref]. This is cool. Got a bit of an album track feel rather than hit single, but still a catchy number. I feel the main synth line clashes with the vocals a touch, but the vocals win that battle which is the way it should be so not a big issue. Lyrically, best cocaine noob story ever.

Nick Soma: Jaffa cakes? Yes please! First couple of listens gave me the impression this was pretty middle-of-the-road but there's something in its strummy indie-popness that strikes a chord with me. It's catchy and has a nice flow to it, gets me foot tapping. Your harmony guest is actually audible! Nice. This is another one where I want the harmonies to become a regular fixture in your songs. One thing I like about this it tells a story, but as a function of the experiences of the singer rather than super literal approach that many other singers here lean on. This makes me think of "What Deaner was Talking About" by Ween. It doesn't really sound like that but has a similar vibe. Enjoyable tune, well done my dude.

Vom Vorton: I do like this. Your guitar work is good and it's got plenty of energy. There's just a couple of things that rankle with me. Firstly, as always, your rhymes are so telegraphed in advance that it makes me wince a little when you sing them. I like a good rhyme as much as the next person, but I would appreciate a little more subtlety, instead of being bashed over the head with your rhyme-hammer. This is mainly a problem in the verses. By the time you hit the chorus the catchy energy is back with those frenetic guitar lines, and the lyric actually suits the rhyme without it being obvious or too predictable. I must admit when I heard that intro roll, for a split second I thought that would be the rhythm of the whole song and I think that would've been badass with that kind of half-time stomp. The fact that it settled into a pretty standard drum beat was a tiny disappointment, but only because it follows the Vom formula so strictly. Luckily that formula is an enjoyable one, but I do think you are overdue a switch-up in style. The breakdown after 2 minutes is awesome, definitely my favourite bit and has bit of a Sonic Youth feel. I would've like more of this. The way it crashes back into the biggest chorus at the end is cool though. BVs are great too.

Glennny: There's something inescapably goofy about the dadrock bounce in this one but it is nonetheless enjoyable and gets my head nodding. The bass drives the melody along nicely. I wouldn't have noticed Paco if not for the liner notes which is a shame since his voice is usually so distinctive, but the harmonies are decent.

Lunkhead: More like Lunkshred, amiright?! Now you've poured all your creative nous into Moss Palace we're back to power pop by numbers, but I actually think this is a better song than your last couple of tunes. I like the dynamic twists and turns. The "failure leads to shame" line made me chuckle since I'm from a town where people revel in their failures (recently voted slobbiest town in the UK! Champion!). All round tight stuff, well done, no less than I would expect.

Cavedwellers: In terms of challenge this one stands out because aside from the harmonies you actually let your guest sing lead! The ploddy mid-tempo chug of this makes it almost indistinguishable from a BSS song but for truth's vocals. The slidy lead guitar bits remind me of Sheryl Crow's "All I Wanna Do" which gets me all nostalgic. Nothing out of place and nothing I particularly dislike but also not super interesting.

Jon Porobil: This is catchy and the live choir was a very bold choice. Or rather, the GnG was a brave choice and the choir saves it. I wouldn't say necessarily that I love the song, but it is definitely earwormy, and that makes it stand out, mainly because it's earnest more than novelty, though it is still a bit novelty. One recording criticism is that it seems to fall apart near the end. I get that it's tough coordinating so many people and I don't know how many takes you tried with your gang, but the looseness detracts from the listening experience.

Elks: A mixed bag here. There's a lot of good things, but percussion is important to set a strong aesthetic foundation for the song, and your persistent use of cheap euro-disco beats for this one leaves a bit of a nasty taste in the mouth. I like that you're avoiding meat and potatoes arrangements, and the space and instrumental details in the mix are cool. But the poor choice of drums is overpowering and in spite of 5+ listens now the song doesn't just doesn't land with me enough to justify overlooking the shortcomings. I was hoping that, similar to your last entry, the hidden subtleties would reveal themselves to push this one higher in my estimation but it didn't happen. I really wanted to rank you above Jon, but his song got stuck in my head all day yesterday and yours didn't.

BSS: Umm, okaaay. So, this is an interesting choice of subject matter for the lyric. I admit my interest was piqued, however I'm not sure it works as far as a lyric goes. Before I looked into it I was like "wtf are they singing about?" and then when I realised I still didn't feel any kind of connection to it. It feels like it should be a comedy song but there's no comedy here. I think the subject is too specific and so that locks the listener out of the experience instead of making me feel like it's something I can identify with. Maybe it would be more effective as a metaphor in one line rather than having a whole song dedicated to it. Anywhooo. Fairly average BSS fare. The guitar arpeggios and synths sprinkles try in vain to spice things up. I was excited to see the inclusion of Friz here but he's barely audible, since you've fallen into the "interpretting harmony as backing vocals" trap. Also the harmonies themselves are a bit meh. Bit of a waste since Friz has an amazing voice and I can't get into Geech's hammed-up hammifications (sorry for being mean!).

Boffo Yux: We had dabbled with the idea of setting an "Emotional Honesty" challenge, which obviously hasn't been followed through, but the idea behind it was to avoid this kind of garbage lyric. You avoid every possible opportunity to write something which might make any kind of emotional connection in order to write something tongue-in-cheek, and while I feel I've been lenient up to now I hope it comes back to bite you in the arse this time. It's no coincidence that the subject matter and song quality are comparable. While other bands are raising their game each round you guys are flatlining.


----
Shadows

Mandibles: Sonically almost indistinguishable from BSS. Got a kind of 60s pop feel about it. Not bad.

Rattlebox: You don't like Guided By Voices comparisons do you? Well tough! Cos this could've come straight from Tobin Sprouts catalogue of pure lofi pop nuggets. This is super lofi, but in the way that I can still hear everything clearly enough and it has a fun energy, just covered in a layer of messy fuzz.

Virgo Power: I can give you a review if you want but I don't think you'd like it.
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Re: Nur Ein XVII: Round Three "Can't Let It Go"

Post by furrypedro »

Had some free time this arvo, so I knocked off a quick demo of how I hoped Vom Vorton's song would go based purely on the first drum roll. Have your Vom buckets at the ready!

https://www.gocarpetburn.com/mp3/cantle ... lation.mp3
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Re: Nur Ein XVII: Round Three "Can't Let It Go"

Post by vowlvom »

Interesting, thanks. Can't hear any guest harmonies though so I'm afraid I'm going to have to rank you last.
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Re: Nur Ein XVII: Round Three "Can't Let It Go"

Post by furrypedro »

vowlvom wrote:
Wed Jun 15, 2022 1:20 am
Interesting, thanks. Can't hear any guest harmonies though so I'm afraid I'm going to have to rank you last.
:lol:

Well, it's your song. I am the (uninvited) guest.
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Re: Nur Ein XVII: Round Three "Can't Let It Go"

Post by Pop Machine »

furrypedro wrote:
Tue Jun 14, 2022 11:38 pm
Boffo Yux: We had dabbled with the idea of setting an "Emotional Honesty" challenge, which obviously hasn't been followed through, but the idea behind it was to avoid this kind of garbage lyric. You avoid every possible opportunity to write something which might make any kind of emotional connection in order to write something tongue-in-cheek, and while I feel I've been lenient up to now I hope it comes back to bite you in the arse this time. It's no coincidence that the subject matter and song quality are comparable. While other bands are raising their game each round you guys are flatlining.
All due respect, but what a load of crap. Last time I checked, this was a songwriting contest and not an "emotional honesty" challenge, so the idea that we would need to conform to someone else's version of "connection" is a bit offensive, really. Let's sidestep the argument that "tongue-in-cheek", though used as a pejorative here, IS a valid way of writing a song and I'll just mention that this round's entry actually DOES have some emotional connection for me (even if it's dealt with lightly) as I've dealt with OCD/borderline hoarding issues.

You can call me/us (occasionally) shitty lyricists (some have) or crappy musicians/songwriters (ditto, we're getting better), but you can't say we ain't trying in our own way. You're going to judge how you judge (you didn't like it, that's obviously legit) and I feel we were running out the end of our string this time around anyway, but it gets tiring being judged for a sensibility more so than for a song.
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Re: Nur Ein XVII: Round Three "Can't Let It Go"

Post by Geech »

furrypedro wrote:
Tue Jun 14, 2022 11:38 pm
BSS: Umm, okaaay. So, this is an interesting choice of subject matter for the lyric. I admit my interest was piqued, however I'm not sure it works as far as a lyric goes. Before I looked into it I was like "wtf are they singing about?" and then when I realised I still didn't feel any kind of connection to it. It feels like it should be a comedy song but there's no comedy here. I think the subject is too specific and so that locks the listener out of the experience instead of making me feel like it's something I can identify with. Maybe it would be more effective as a metaphor in one line rather than having a whole song dedicated to it.
(Amidst a cloud of smoke and fog, briefly exits voice hammification isolation immersion chamber)

Yeah, I admit for some here it's difficult to relate to an overly optimistic narrator naively entering a seemingly ridiculous but grueling elimination challenge contest and being ground down to a nub through the process. You're right, I should have made it a metaphor for something - not sure what, though.
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Re: Nur Ein XVII: Round Three "Can't Let It Go"

Post by mo »

Geech wrote:
Wed Jun 15, 2022 9:59 am
furrypedro wrote:
Tue Jun 14, 2022 11:38 pm
BSS: Umm, okaaay. So, this is an interesting choice of subject matter for the lyric. I admit my interest was piqued, however I'm not sure it works as far as a lyric goes. Before I looked into it I was like "wtf are they singing about?" and then when I realised I still didn't feel any kind of connection to it. It feels like it should be a comedy song but there's no comedy here. I think the subject is too specific and so that locks the listener out of the experience instead of making me feel like it's something I can identify with. Maybe it would be more effective as a metaphor in one line rather than having a whole song dedicated to it.
(Amidst a cloud of smoke and fog, briefly exits voice hammification isolation immersion chamber)

Yeah, I admit for some here it's difficult to relate to an overly optimistic narrator naively entering a seemingly ridiculous but grueling elimination challenge contest and being ground down to a nub through the process. You're right, I should have made it a metaphor for something - not sure what, though.
rofl
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Re: Nur Ein XVII: Round Three "Can't Let It Go"

Post by Evermind »

I had kind of expected that everyone would reach for the obvious "failed relationship" interpretation of the title and I'm pleasantly surprised how few of you did. There were a lot of very good songs this round.

Just a brief reminder, I judge songs on a one-to-five scale based on Songwriting (structure, melodies, harmonies etc, and how well it supports the concept), Concept (what were you trying to do with the song), Execution (production values, performance, i.e. how well you put your ideas into practice), Challenge (did you satisfy the challenge, and how well does it fit into your song), and finally Subjective Enjoyment (was it pleasing to my tastes). These points are summed and determine rankings, with any ties decided by closer listening and subjective enjoyment.

The Alleviators
The bass in this is tasty. The programmed instruments sound good, but suffer a little from the "machine gun" effect. Looking very squarely at the snare on this one. The guest harmony vox are stellar. The use of the stereo field is good. While the song itself doesn't seem to develop much, it's pretty enough for me not to mind, and the harmonies carry my interest to the finish. With the exception of the programmed instruments needing a little variation from note to note (low pass filter freq, velocity, sample used) the production on this is fantastic. My one big criticism is that the lyrics seem like a pretty generic love song. Maybe there's a deeper story but it doesn't come across. Even so, I enjoyed this immensely.

Berkeley Social Scene
This song feels kind of rigid. Nothing in particular is carrying the groove. Everything feels very stilted. The chorus changes it up and we finally get some sustain, but still not feeling the groove. There's a painful amount of high end in the drums/perc and a lack of low end. The concept of the song is very interesting: a contest where the last person to take their hand off a truck wins the truck. Did not see that interpretation coming but it totally works. Harmony vocals are there. Subtle, but they do add something.

Boffo Yux Dudes
Love the skit intro, complete with foley. Nice interpretation of the title, a song about hoarding. Not one but two guest harmony vocalists! Woo hoo! I'm not a stickler for grammar, but the contrast between "how it be" and the proper grammar in the rest of the song is kind of awkward. Feels stuck in there for the rhyme. Vocals feel like they could use some air, a little brightness. Also, can we talk about the rad bassline in here? It's buried in the mix and could use a little love. The scansion on "MArie KonDO" almost made me spit out my drink.

Cavedwellers
Love the guitar tone right out of the gate. The low end needs inflating, though, I can barely hear the bass and kick drum, especially on such a rockin' tune. The hi-hats at :44 feel buried. I can appreciate the way you've treated the vocals recorded via earbud mic, which creates a nice contrast with the properly recorded vocals. As a friend of mine once said, "the problem is the solution", and you've given the earbud vox the lofi treatment, and darnit, it works. Concept seems to be cheating in the age of online dating. Cymbals feel overcompressed.

Elks of the Economy
The intro reminds me of Big Enough. Lyrics seem a bit hollow, no real concept, just vibes. The whole song is ear candy, great production values. Bass is a little farty, which isn't an issue until it's exposed at 1:10 or so. 80's toms sprayed everywhere. Lots of cool stuff going on here, the song pitch bending to the bridge is really cool.

Glennny
The guitar sitting squarely in my left ear is a tiny bit grating at first, as there's nothing to really balance it out on the right side. Vocal harmonies are really nice. Transition from clean to distorted guitar is nice. You've effectively created a creepy narrator character, and, like the Police song you reference, it's a compelling if slightly unnerving story. Points for that. Paco's voice works really well in this song. Really tasty licks in the call and response solo section. I like how the narrator gets slowly more unhinged throughout the song. You've done really well this round.

Jon Porobil
Vocals sound a bit boxy in the intro, but it creates interest and they're rounded out by the harmony vocals. While they never get less boxy they do get supported by all the other vocals. The section beginning at "you're making the plans, you're picking the gifts" has a lot of energy and really starts to pick the song up. The solo at 1:43 is buried. There's a bunch of sounds of something hitting your acoustic guitar, like maybe your beltbuckle or rivets on your jeans or something, but there's a distracting tapping. You might consider putting some masking tape or painter's tape on whatever is tapping the guitar when recording to avoid that. I think the intimate feel created by the acoustic recording having some character like the pick noise and fret noise meshes well with the concept of the person who feels a sort of relationship-specific imposter syndrome, with their imperfections on display, but it only goes so far before being distracting. Around 3:09 the guitar gets pretty seriously out of time. I can't say I'm a fan of the singalong, it feels cliche and forced, like when a band's frontman says to the crowd: "Are you having a good time tonight? I can't heeeear youuuuuuu! I said ARE YOU HAVING A GOOD TIME TONIGHT?!"

Lowest Bitter
Concept of an OD experience (or what felt like one anyway) is a unique take. Scansion issues: REcepTIONist. Blood presSURE. Good lyric: "barely a response, points to a hospital on the tourist map / sends me on my way / a dagger in my chest / but nobody wants a death on the premises I guess". I like that you've written in a non-standard time signature without even being required to! ;) The timing on "youregonnadieyouregonnadie" starts to drift off. I'm not sure if this was an intentional choice to emphasize feelings of panic from the song, but it doesn't lean hard enough into the off-timing. If you introduced other elements like off-key melodies, harsh atmospheric sounds, alarm klaxons, or something along those lines it would be more obviously an intentional choice. I do hear a little bit of distortion creeping into the vocals toward the end, like maybe you were going for this. Either way, it sounds more like a mistake as it is. The low harmony vox are nice, but it's a very small part of the song and feels like maybe just an afterthought for the sake of ticking the challenge box.

Lunkhead
The harmony vocals sprinkled in are nice. The interjected "no you're not, just give up" is a great way to musically represent the voice of the inner critic, this song's concept, with a little bit of dissonance and 7/8 thrown in there. You weren't kidding about stuffing lots of guitar solos into the song. I was a bit worried that the solos would sound forced in there or outstay their welcome but here I am at the end of the song and that hasn't happened. One small gripe I have is that the drums sound kind of weak for this genre. Maybe some transient shaping, saturation, or maybe just a little fader bump would get me out of my seat.

Moss Palace
The attack on the acoustic guitar is non-existent. Not sure if that's intentional or not but to me, it would add a lot to keep at least a little of the percussive strum noise. I'm not grasping the concept here. Something odd is going on with the snare at around 1:24. It returns again at 2:38. It kind of sounds like some weird time stretching artifact like this was played at double speed and then slowed, or like the snares are on but really loose. Weird artifact in the sibilance at 3:43, maybe from pitch correction recognizing the sibilance as a note and trying to correct? Really love the sound of the bare vocal harmonies at the end of the track, a nice way to close it out. I wasn't wild about this song, nothing about it really grabbed me and there were a lot of weird artifacts in it that need cleaning up. Otherwise, the production is nice.

Nick Soma
Intro vocals feel buried, as if sung through a blanket. Not sure if this is to make room for the harmony vocals that come in, but it feels unnecessary. Blanket gets lifted around the one-minute mark, which suggests this was an intentional choice. In my opinion, that probably should have happened a bit earlier. The sibilance feels a bit too hot at times, could use some tamping down with a de-esser. The chorus makes me want to sing along. There's a bit of uncomfortable brightness to this overall, which may be where the sibilance issues stem from, like maybe you realized the whole song was too dark and lifted the entire song with a high shelf at the end, but caused a series of elements to be overly sharp in the process. Odd syllable stresses. "NIRvana song". "cocoNUT". Concept is an old relationship, not super original. Given the specifics it sounds like maybe this is based on a real-life relationship. There's a trap I've fallen into multiple times that you might be in with this one. When writing about personal experiences, there's a wealth of color and depth your memory brings to the story that your audience is missing. It's easy to stop short of actually giving the audience a sense of that depth because it's familiar to you. When you take a look at the lyrics, we learn that the relationship is over and they don't talk to you anymore. We also learn the music and body care products they like. That's about it. I feel like there's a lot more story to be told here that we aren't getting.

Vom Vorton
I can empathize with you on burning out. Nur Ein will definitely do that to you. I like the driven vocals. The harmony vocals are nice, and while they're not front and center they do add to the chorus. The delivery on the lines "it’s like I’m half asleep / trying to ignore a concussion" gives me some chills. It feels personal. The guest vox in the bridge are subtle and haunting. The vocals are slightly pitchy at times.
I am definitely too square for how experimental this is, but I can imagine that if I was in the right state of mind, the section starting at 2:20 might transport me to another dimension - jeffhenderson
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Re: Nur Ein XVII: Round Three "Can't Let It Go"

Post by BoffoYux »

furrypedro wrote:
Tue Jun 14, 2022 11:38 pm
Boffo Yux: We had dabbled with the idea of setting an "Emotional Honesty" challenge, which obviously hasn't been followed through, but the idea behind it was to avoid this kind of garbage lyric. You avoid every possible opportunity to write something which might make any kind of emotional connection in order to write something tongue-in-cheek, and while I feel I've been lenient up to now I hope it comes back to bite you in the arse this time. It's no coincidence that the subject matter and song quality are comparable. While other bands are raising their game each round you guys are flatlining.
Someone didn't get enough bran this morning.

Have you met us? Heard any of the 100's of songs we've done over the last decade?

Of course we're tongue in cheek when the songs need that treatment.

We're also obnoxious and have fun with the challenge, occasionally to our own detriment. However, this year I do feel we've taken up a way to challenge ourselves more and strayed out of our old wheelhouse with mixed but positive results. I think it's a bit refreshing, but it might not be for all people.

I'm glad to see you feel you've been 'lenient' towards us. I appreciate the thought. I'll remember that as we 'flatline' due to not raising our game.

Usually judges will do a carrot and stick or 'shit sandwich' review - here's what I didn't like, here's a way to fix that issue, etc. Perhaps some introspection on your end is needed as to why you feel the need to express yourself in such a derogatory manner.

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Re: Nur Ein XVII: Round Three "Can't Let It Go"

Post by glennny »

Speaking for only myself (I had this debate with Lunkhead and Geech this morning), I really appreciate judges and reviews. I will take a mean review any day over no review. I appreciate the insight into the judge's thinking. I don't like wondering why a judge ranked me the way they did. My friendship with Furry Pedro began with him telling me that my guitar solo sucked. We had a dialog about it and he's one of my favorite people I've met because of Song Fight. Historically I've been driven crazy trying to please a judge like j$. But what I loved about j$ is he always reviewed, and always explained where he was coming from. Song Fight gave me a thick skin for criticism. it was shocking at first, I was used to all of my friends and family telling me how great I was all the time.
You should see the backlash I got as a judge for Spin Tunes 2. That community used to be very separate from Song Fight. Back then it was like nobody could take criticism at all.

My main point is- judging is thankless and voluntary and super nice of the people who take the time to judge. I very much appreciate any review. So - thank you judges! Especially when you give feedback!

I hope this little backlash doesn't discourage any judges from submitting reviews.
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Re: Nur Ein XVII: Round Three "Can't Let It Go"

Post by Pop Machine »

Evermind wrote:
Wed Jun 15, 2022 11:20 am
Boffo Yux Dudes
Love the skit intro, complete with foley. Nice interpretation of the title, a song about hoarding. Not one but two guest harmony vocalists! Woo hoo! I'm not a stickler for grammar, but the contrast between "how it be" and the proper grammar in the rest of the song is kind of awkward. Feels stuck in there for the rhyme. Vocals feel like they could use some air, a little brightness. Also, can we talk about the rad bassline in here? It's buried in the mix and could use a little love. The scansion on "MArie KonDO" almost made me spit out my drink.
Thanks for the kind words and constructive criticism! I will say others (including me) dug on the bassline as well, but since I often err on the side of "too bassy" in my mixes I guess I overcompensated in the other direction. LOL, I'll get it right one of these days!
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Re: Nur Ein XVII: Round Three "Can't Let It Go"

Post by Pop Machine »

glennny wrote:
Wed Jun 15, 2022 12:10 pm
My main point is- judging is thankless and voluntary and super nice of the people who take the time to judge. I very much appreciate any review. So - thank you judges! Especially when you give feedback!
I actually 100% agree with this and appreciate ANYONE who gives their time and consideration to this contest. Negative feedback>no feedback, undoubtedly, and we're mostly fine with keeping our big yaps shut when we're dunked on, you learn stuff that way. But sometimes I just need to speak up, as we all do. Any specific points I wanted to make are just that: specific points, and do not in general wish anything but good tidings to those who cross our path in this context.
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Re: Nur Ein XVII: Round Three "Can't Let It Go"

Post by mo »

Bunch of random-ish thoughts after having listened to the songs a bunch of times. I appreciate all the work and energy that everyone puts into their songs, the reviewing, the judging. Every single one of those is a thankless task that doesn't deserve vitriol. Well ok, maybe a little vitriol. Just a smidge.


The Alleviators - great opening gambit, when the vocal comes in with that line, I get chills. The mood is perfectly controlled, good job. There’s a little looseness in the rhythm of the guitar/drums at 1:38 that’s distracting. Again at like 2:33 or so. The song is so good feeling for what it is, but for my taste, it stays too level throughout, and it doesn’t go as high up as it want it to, or go back down as low, feel-wise—like it’s not the thing where the tension is building and is unbearable but never breaks either, that’s another way this kind of song can work. I think it would really benefit from some more work in the arrangement. Like when the drums finally break through at the end, it’s like too little too late. Or if you’re going the building unresolved tension route, maybe there needs to be some subtle layers that add tension?

Berkeley Social Scene - another good opening salvo, great riff. The feel of the singing in the chorus needs to elevate a little more, I want to be carried up, and I don’t quite feel like it got there. Love the slide. I loved this documentary when I saw it, fun.

Boffo Yux Dudes - I’m into the premise. That verse melody line reminds me of something that I can’t put my finger on, maybe it’s like Bizarre Love Triangle or something Depeche Mode, anyway, it’s good hooky melody. Here again, my feeling is that you hit the chorus and you stay at the same level, the backing vocals should be louder and have more support, and it could really blow minds—like the part is good, but the mix/arrangement could use some finessing. Again, the bridge, it’s at the same level of feel, wanted to feel a shift here. It’s a good tune though, I thought it was a good direction and has a lot of stuff you could tease out of it—

Cavedwellers - female vocal is a little hard to hear clearly bc of the processing I think. This song has a good journey from the verse to the prechorus to the chorus. I agree with Vom’s point about the missed opportunity to use vocal harmonies to elevate the chorus. Guitarmonies!

Elks of the Economy - what a bunch of frauds, I bet they aren’t even really mammals that can grow horns. And what does the economy have to do with it? I blame these so-called “Elks” for runaway inflation. Thanks, “Elks.”

Glennny - Guitars sound epic ofc. My main thing about this song is that I’m not a fan of the chorus vocal melody, the phrase goes down, and IMO it’s just almost catchy, but the way it ends with “can’t let it go” going down in pitch and feel each time is kind of a letdown, YMMV.

Jon Porobil - I did not know I was in a Muppet movie campfire scene. I thought about it a bunch and my main note about this tune is that the chorus is a lot like All You Need Is Love, and that big singalong chorus worked because the lyric itself is expansive and inclusive. “I am indebted to you” by contrast doesn’t feel to me like an anthemic, repeatable line—I mean obvs you’ve done it, so it’s physically possible, I just mean that emotionally it feels, idk, restrictive rather than expansive, “indebted” feels constricted (and kind of cult-ish, honestly). And then to follow that up with “And I can’t let it go” feels weird to me. So YMMV but I would workshop that “indebted” line into something that projects the love out rather than something that is sort of gripping it tightly and not letting it out.

The Lowest Bitter - I love this tune. I have been there, like, right there. I really appreciate all the way the music and the lyrical concept are one artistic statement. Vom sounds like someone I’d rather avoid in a dark alleyway. That being said, the verse is catchier than the chorus for me, because I really wanted a change of some kind, a creeping menacing bass drone note or something, building tension really. This seems to be a theme for me today.

Lunkhead - MOAR GLENN. Basically most of the stuff I heard when I listened are nitpicks, little bits of vocal phrasing around beats, maybe would’ve been cool to have the music cut out on the last “afraid” and let the harmonies hang, but I think the point of what I feel is that this song kind of wants to breathe a little more somewhere. Maybe it’s that I feel like the second verse is more of the first verse, and yes, impressionism, but some more development of the theme would add a lot I think. Maybe it’s about describing the monster and how it affects your emotions, like I’m willing to get drawn in, so draw me in already.

Moss Palace - As usual you guys do lush really well. Again I hear things I could nitpick, like I would have had the tremolo effect on a bit wetter, or maybe a different one that has a softer attack, maybe some notes that aren’t quite in tune or just a little rushed, but I mean that’s not a real criticism, just production shit. All the layers are gorgeous, good work in the transitions. Vocally I like all the phrasings, in the chorus particularly, and I like that the lyrics are sparse and impressionistic as opposed to verbose and explicit, which happens a lot in these Songfight/Nur Ein songs sometimes. Like a moment ago I was writing about movement through the verses, and this lyric does a great job of setting a scene and investing it with emotion, which to me is when Moss Palace songs are really great.

Nick Soma - I love the build of this song. I really particularly like the prechorus feel and phrasing. I am not the hugest fan of the bridge, because especially in lost relationship songs, it’s traditionally a place for an insight, or a parallel universe look at what’s been established in the verses, or something different. Now you chose not to do that, and I think that puts a higher bar on the bridge to deliver an emotionally satisfying moment, which I personally did not get from this. The Nirvana song line starts going on a road there, but then I don’t know, I guess I think that going to the smells and feels of the person is about the narrator and not the relationship, and that feels a little less meaningful to me. I really dig the relative minor chord on “go” when you hit it (echoes of “Daughter”), and I wish it was that way all the time, because the straight major chord there is a little boring to me.

Vom Vorton - this immediately has that Vom Vorton energy, a little IV iv action. The rhythm guitar work is spectacular, making riffs out of chords. I like the verse musical concept too, which is a subbed i I, always good shit. The chorus just explodes out, up there for best chorus of the round. The instrumental bit is pretty good too, a nice resetting before slamming back into that last chorus, with all the great layers. This song brims with focused energy.


Mandibles - I enjoyed this, I felt like the guitar would’ve been better off as an edge of breakup tone rather than this fuzzed out tone. Simple love songs are some of the hardest to really pull off, and I don't think this one is a great one, that really goes somewhere emotionally, but it's a decent effort.

Rattlebox - This energy is great, and frankly if this song was in competition it probably would contend for a top spot this week on the basis of having that awesome energy. Like sure, there’s all kinds of flaws but this type of rock song doesn’t care about those things, so I’m sure not going to nitpick them.

Virgo Power - My main takeaway is the performance questions, mostly having to do with timing issues, both the keys against the drums and the vocals, which don’t always start on the right beat. I think actually though that tightening that stuff up might lead to a very listenable lofi indie tune. My only lyrical nitpick at the moment is the bridge, I just don’t think that last line is a great button, like, I’d like it to be a more memorable and evocative line.
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Re: Nur Ein XVII: Round Three "Can't Let It Go"

Post by Geech »

mo wrote:
Wed Jun 15, 2022 3:25 pm

Berkeley Social Scene - another good opening salvo, great riff. The feel of the singing in the chorus needs to elevate a little more, I want to be carried up, and I don’t quite feel like it got there. Love the slide. I loved this documentary when I saw it, fun.
WRT the chorus vocal, I actually wanted it to sound like the narrator was barely hanging on or even falling into an abyss. Gooooo-oooooooh. At the same time he's saying You Can't Let it Go, he's doing just that.
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Re: Nur Ein XVII: Round Three "Can't Let It Go"

Post by glennny »

Can’t Let It Go

Alleviators-
Screech! That much string noise always bugs me. Other people say “How do get that noise, that’s my favorite part”. It’s a minor thing. This is beautiful! Vocals are amazing. Harmonies are very well done. Going minimal acoustic was smart to showcase the harmonies. Why wasn’t I that smart? I wouldn’t call this catchy, but it sure is pretty to hear. Musically, it makes me feel like I have to pay attention to the lyrics. Lyrics are solid. They enhance the emotion of the song. Good job!

BSS
- I wish I knew we could feature Frisbee more prominently. I thought we were following the intent of the challenge and putting Frisbee in the backing harmony spot. Sounds like a duet would have been more what the judges were looking for. It’s always nice to have a song about something strange. I think Geech is killing it with all of the vocals this Nur Ein! It’s always nice to have Frisbee harmonies and BV. The kernel for this one was the main riff that Lunkhead wrote. I flushed out the song, then Ken and Geech refined it to the pop gem it is. I dig this song, it probably sticks in my head the most from this fight.

Boffo Yux Dudes-
Brilliant take on the title! I love the lyrics. The melody is good. My main issue is the production. The vocals are so forward in the mix, that it feels like karaoke. It doesn’t give the illusion of a band playing in a room ( that’s always a goal for me). This is enjoyable!

Cavedwellers
- Truth did the heavy lifting for writing this one. I wrote the bridge and solo section, Truth took the guitar solo and played most of the guitar parts and bass. I’m pretty happy with the production. I look forward to Grumpy Mike explaining everything I did wrong with the production. I seriously hope that’s true, he gives good tips and is a production wizard. I love this song. I hope we get to play it live someday.

Elks of the Economy
- JB whistling. The big guns. Is this the super-est supergroup? It’s so New Wave. This is fun and bouncy. ADD on harmony! You guys are stacking this team like the Lakers (enjoy that metaphor Mo, Warriors up 3-2). This is not my favorite E of the E song, but it is solid. Good stuff!

glennny-
I was stoked I got my Song Fight Hero and Odoriferous Valley partner to back me up. When I first heard the tracks, he sent me I cried with delight. Paco’s backing vocals and harmonies are one of his many superpowers. When Furry Pedro calls this dad rock is that a pejorative? I am the Worlds Greatest Dad, you can look it up in Song Fight science. I like to swing the drums like Bonham, I think that’s what equals dad rock. I’m still dialing in the tuning vocals process. I finally bought Logic for this Nur Ein. Finally graduated from Garageband. I have to thank Paco for reassuring me about the lyrical direction too. I have previously been a part of songs with an unreliable unlikable narrator and the judges didn’t like the song because of it. So forgive me for pointing that out if it was obvious enough already. I was trying to give the emotional journey of the obsessive: he tries to regard it as nothing but becomes unhinged as the obsession grows. I had considered taking it as far as leading to a murder, but it felt like too much. The lyrics landed on a feeling of wanting to fight. Thanks again Paco! It’s always pure joy to trade guitar licks with Paco.

Jon Cougar Porobil- Catchy song. At the listening party someone mentioned “ reminds me of You’ve got a Friend in Me”, now I can’t unhear that. It’s hard to tell who that was who said that, there were so many people there. It was crazy party time. If you weren’t there, you weren’t where it was at. Much like Alleviators, it was smart to go acoustic to feature the harmony vocals. My knee jerk reaction to a GnG is a little anger, like- why didn’t they put in the effort that the rest of us did, but thinking about it, I see how it serves the challenge. Still, my preference would have been some brushes on a snare and a double bass. Good stuff!

The Lowest Bitter
- New wave is strong. This is very static. Seems to stay at the same emotional level throughout. I suppose that is genre-appropriate. You want to keep dancing. I wish there was more dynamics. It’s a good listen. Nice harmonies. Challenge met. My favorite part is the bridge and the very Eno noise that comes in then.

Lunkhead-
I’m sold. I want to buy this power-pop album you’re writing. It was genius to get a Nur Ein champ to do your harmonies and backing vocals. The bridge is my favorite part. I love the punchy call and response. It’s weird in the best way. This is totally fun. The solo rocks! The end solo rocks too! Good stuff.

Moss Palace
- The opening word always takes me to Juice Newton “Midnigh igh ight” sounds like the “Oh oh oh” at the beginning. This song is flawless. Oh, you actually have the lyric “mid nigh igh ight”, no wonder I’m playing with the Queen of Hearts. Vocals are amazing. The production is amazing. The backing vocals are amazing. It’s all amazing. Will this be a judge unanimous win? I predict it will. Excellent.

Nick Soma- Another smart minimalist acoustic orchestration that highlights the harmony vocals. Harmonies are good. Production is nice. I keep laughing because I misheard the lyric “she invited me in for Jaffa Cakes and Tea”, I heard “she invited me in for defecating”. Maybe there’s too much Zappa in my life. The song is solid. The production is excellent. Good job!

Vom Vorton
- I love the drums. I love the riff. I love the dynamics. What!?!! You almost dropped out?!? That’s insane. You’re crushing it. I love this song. Harmonies are great. You sound more Robyn Hitchcock than usual, which is a very good thing in my book. No complaints. Keep doing this!

Mandibles-
I like to think I helped train Truth for contest season. We did a Cavedwellers FAWM, and it turned out great. He’s been on fire with Cavedwellers and Mandibles. The harmonies are amazing, but I think they’re overused. There’s harmony all of the time. I think editing some of them out would make the song stronger. Maybe cut all the instruments and be the a capella group you can be. All the instruments are great. Catchy tune! I might hear “ I can’t let it go” too much for my taste. I’d probably suggest a slightly faster tempo too, but it's great.

Ben Krieger
- Song Cycle. Song cycle. C’mon, do a song cycle! What happened? Why aren’t you in this? I’m a big fan. You understand rock power. Great lyrics! Great angst on display. I feel this song. Fun song!

Virgo Power- Some sour notes really hurt this song. There’s the charming quirkiness I always expect from you guys. It feels like a Velvet Underground deep cut. That’s a bold chorus, to try and make that one word hit all of those notes is territory I would not dare try, and I’m completely willing to make a fool of myself almost always.
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