I listened to most of these once without worrying about reviewing. These reviews are written during my second full listen.
Pigfarmer Jr - I commented on this earlier, but this isn't really my cup of tea (made worse through no fault of yours by the fact that it's very similar to two other songs this fight). The simple punk-rock arrangement suits the song, but I'd have preferred something a little more musically complex. And the lyrics, aside from not fitting the meter of your melody very well, are bluntly political. I could nitpick, but the message and the medium are so enmeshed that I don't think I can comment on them without also commenting on the substance of your politics. Don't mind me, though; I'm well aware that these criticisms indicate how badly I've missed the point. Your performance and mix are solid.
Hoblit - The sad truth is that I could almost copy my review of Pigfarmer's song word-for-word and it would apply. Not meaning to hate, but this isn't my bag. You did achieve more of that music complexity, particularly with that sweet guitar lick. I also appreciated your use of handclaps. There's a high level of energy throughout this, aided by a strong drum performance and some nice fills. But yeah, I'm just not a big fan of overtly (and specifically) political lyrics. Your voice is great for this kind of song, though!
Pepper Jane - You've got the fundamentals down, for sure. Your guitar playing is sweet and pretty, and the recording captures it properly, too, without sounding too muddled or letting the room sound interfere with it. And you're a very good singer, too! I'm not crazy about your lyrics, unfortunately. There's a lot of vagueness and most of the rhymes have been done to death (went/sent, lose/choose, ear/near, etc). I may vote for this nonetheless, because the strength of your performance carries this song.
Jerkatorium - Very well-executed! That high-energy pop-rock feel is right in my musical sweet spot, so I guess I'm predisposed to this. I also really appreciate the lyrics about a person with entrenched social anxiety. The backup vocals (both the harmonies and the "oohs") add a lot of texture, as do the sweepy synths. This kind of reminds me of Squeeze! Definitely one of my favorites this week. Let's nitpick: that lead vocal needs more pop to it, more oomph. Some of that is in the performance - you could sound more impassioned - and some of that is in the mix. Raising the lead vocal a notch would help, but I think it might be an issue of carving out some more space for the lead vocal in the EQ as well. Also, I would have liked a little more dynamism from the music - maybe one quiet section in the bridge or before a chorus. Overall though, this is a really good song.
Voted with high honors!
j$ - This sounds a little busy to my ears, and I'm not sure if it's because there are a lot of elements in the mix, or more just because the multi-tracked lead vocals are ever-so-slightly out of sync with each other (I'm assuming intentionally, to make it feel a little off-kilter). I love some of these chord changes, but man do I wish there were just a little less going on so I could pay attention more easily. I liked this more on a second listen than the first time, and I bet it'll grow on me more if I give it some more chances.
Ian Martyn - Sorry, not much to say about this. It was over before it had time to make an impression on me. Watch out when you pile multiple effects on a vocal, because overlapping echoes can make it difficult to listen to.
Rio Mondo - What is this, a trailer for your next song? I guess it's cool that you kept a cohesive groove going through several disparate sample sources. This struck me as ultimately pointless.
Bob and the Boogies - Charmingly ramshackle. Your voice sounds a little like Stephen Malkmus. Really clever rhymes. It's short, maybe a little too short, but if it were any longer, you'd have needed to add more structural elements, which strikes me as something you wanted to avoid. That spring-reverb guitar solo that ends it was a canny arrangement choice, really cementing the slackercore feel. I liked this a lot; I even wanted more!
Voted.
Ice Weasels - Hey, who told you you could do an acoustic-guitar-and-eggshaker song?
The pacing of this arrangement really makes it stand out. I love the introduction of the full drum kit and the synths. Some of the vocals are a tad wavery, but on the other hand, that's appropriate for a song whose narrator doesn't sound accustomed to asserting himself. I liked your lyrics - the frustrated narrator gives the song a narrative arc and injects tension, but there's also just enough "poetic" language to keep this from sounding too self-indulgently emo.
Voted.
Paco del Stinko - I appreciated that your lyrics weren't focused on, say, a specific piece of legislature or a specific political organization, but were more about a general political sentiment (even with an unobtrusive reference to Donald Trump's proposed Mexican Wall, I assume), and how the mood of the debate is just so dark. Really slick axmanship, but that goes without saying where you're concerned, Paco. I think it was unfair of me to initially lump you in with Pigfarmer and Hoblit, because this song isn't nearly as angry as theirs are. You don't seem to be lashing out, but rather observing with some concern. I like your ending too.
Voted.
Macaque Attack - That drum loop is sweet. I was hoping for something a little more energetic and engaged based on the strength of that loop, but this is more ambient and laid-back. Great for what it is, but I admit I'm a little disappointed. I liked the melody - it moves around enough to be interesting, without being too all over the place. And those long-held notes with the harmonies in the chorus really help it out. Nice instrumental drop for the solo. I like the reverb on your electric guitar, and those spot-synths accentuating the solo. I want to say this runs a bit long, but I'm not sure what I would cut. Maybe that last chorus?
glennny - In the time I've known you, your vocals have improved dramatically. They're not the main event here or anything, but you're definitely holding your own. Your guitar work is great, and I like that complex lick you built your verses around. You embody your genre well. The guitar and the drums interact satisfyingly, like you have a real band of people taking cues from one another. I like the solo, but it's a little discordant at times. The solo ends really well, though. One thing I'm not wild about in this song is the abrupt coda. It sounds like you maybe cut something else out of the middle, as there's a sudden cut before the last part, a wildly fast guitar fill, and then no musical resolution. I'm sure you were going for some kind of effect with this cut-off ending, but I didn't care for it. Nonetheless...
Voted.
Gregg Boethin - A well-executed country song is a unique beast on Song Fight, because you've pretty much got the field to yourself. No one else did anything even close to like this for this fight. I like the crispness of your voice, though I would have liked it if you'd tried to hang on to the last word of each line in your chorus for just a little longer. That lead guitar sounds cool at first, but by the end of the song I was getting annoyed with it (I think it's a little too loud in the mix; fix this and it probably won't be as annoying). Still, this is refreshing in its straightforwardness. I like that you ended on the verse instead of stringing out another chorus for us.
Voted.
Blue Rock Jazz Trio - Too long, too meandering, too sloppy, and your self-deprecating meta-jokes don't land with me. I could barely stomach this the first time through, and I did myself the favor of skipping during my second listen.
And, my own...
I wish I'd gotten a quicker start on this, because then I wouldn't have had to rush the recording process. This was my first time recording in the new house, so of course things kept going wrong. At one point I got ground hum so loud I thought my microphone was broken. At another point I thought I'd somehow ruined my recording configuration settings in Cubase. Then, once I finally got the recording going, I had to be happy with the first decent take I got because I honestly thought my little finger was cut and bleeding by the end of that take (it wasn't, but I guess I've gotten more sensitive since the incident). I did the guitar, vocals, eggshaker, and tambourine one night, and then added the organ and bass, plus some more detailed mixing, the following night. There remain things I like about it - the lyrics, most of the vocals, the chord progression, the distant reverb effect on the tambourine - but overall I'm surprised at the positive reception I've been getting.
Things I should have handled differently: My second-night mix is better than the first one I turned in, but I should have swept my vocals for those hard sibilants. It's only really noticeable when I listen on earbuds, but I assume anyone else listening on earbuds also gets overwhelmed in that first verse when I say "sir," and in that one-two when I say "change is" in the chorus. Ouch! For the bridge, I made the tambourine much drier and lowered the volume on it, but I should have lowered it more. I agree with j$ about the backup vocals not being well-suited to that moment. And I agree with Vexed Simian about the the bass. With maybe two more days, I might have caught and fixed that. Also, I'm hearing some timing issues on the eggshaker that I'm amazed no one has commented on yet.
Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, even the less-positive comments. In almost all cases, I agree with the criticisms, or at least can see where you're coming from.
but this is solid!