So I haven't reviewed in a long time mostly cuz I've been busy over the last few months working. I thought I'd give grades according to
songwriting,
production,
how it relates to the title and
whether I liked it or not.
a-log
SW - this isn't much of a song from my perspective just loops going on an on and not in a very creative way. It does emulate the title in it's musical approach, but sounds more like a piece than a song IMO. - Zero
P - It's alright I guess if the loops weren't so compressed and they were originally recorded at a higher bit rate. Very rave, but not good enough to constitute a good rave song. It all seems too easy from a production standpoint. - two
HIRTTT - It does relate on some level as it gives the listener a sneak peak into your idea of the title, but doesn't really go far enough sonically, musically, or lyrically to get the title across to me. - two
WILION - thumbs down. way down.
Asperse
SW - I do kind of think this is a song although many might believe that it is more of an art piece. There are some lyrical moments that translate, for me, into a song, but then you repeat the title which in my mind belittles the idea that you may have been going for. Should of stuck, IMO, to the musical suggestions for the title. - three
P - The production is excellent and is reminiscent of Einsterzeinde Neubauten. A little noise-floory but I forgive it. I enjoyed the droning sounds and all the eclectic sounds that have been manifested from your voice. I especially enjoyed the panning at points with the voice and the sampled, delayed vocals that work over each other especially by the end. Reminds me of a trippy rendition of "This is a test and only a test. Do not adjust your television..." - 7
HIRTTT - It does. Repeating the title does not make it very poetic, but I can appreciate the repetitive nature of the title being repeated in the various meandering, chordal ways. - 5
WILION - It's ok as a song/piece, but I wouldn't listen to it unless I was really fuckin' stoned and wanted my torso to be removed.
Carpetburn
SW - There are a lot of hooks that I can appreciate in this song and so far is the first
song I've heard. I love the rhythms in their translation of the title. My biggest beef is the use of the title. I found in this fight a lot of people felt the need to incorporate the title in the chorus hook and that seemed too obvious to me. Still I like the songwriting. - 7
Production - The stops and starts are really cool with the midi drum programming. The pitchiness is a little wonky but give a characteristic to the song. The guitar's out of tune especially in the solo and not in a good way. There is also a 50Hz ground hum occuring in the tune. There are plugins to eradicate this buzz. It could be the guitars. - 6
HIRTTT - I thought it did alright getting inside my head for the title. The stops and starts made the fluidity of the title, IMO, more in character to the title because I feel that a title like this needs variety. - 6
WILION - It was alright. Not my fave but a great attempt at the title.
CR410
SW - There are some GREAT rap moments in this tune. Intelligent writings without the gangsta. I love the professor, eq'd voice stating the title. That was cool. The music doesn't vary much and what I would have loved is a couple of stops and starts. The chorussy section is well done. Very hooky and the groove is grabbing me. - 8
Production - A little rev on the voice with the music would have made things seemed in the same space. 2.5 to keep it alive. The Khz boost of EQ on the master buss that would have made things less woofy. - 6
HIRTTT - It does in it's way and I can dig it. I don't necessarily hear rap for this title, but you execute it well and for that you get an - 8
WILION - I'm not a fan of rap, so my bias doesn't really allow me to like it all that much.
draft
SW - I thought that the songwriting was alright for this tune, but I really wanted to stretch it out into another part at the end of the tune which would have really drawn it out but ran out of time. My favourite lyric is "And nebulous clouds singing songs...." which is where I wanted most of the lyrics to go. I googled the title and came up with
this which was my motivation for the metaphoric relationship to the title.
P - I liked the production on this but wish I didn't over-modulate, ever so slightly, the vocals when I recorded them. I was too close in the verses to the mic. I love the work that TheHipCola and my man the c-monster added to the tune. Made a simple D chord song have a lot more energy. The tuning was DADF#AD on the guitar which gives a neat Eastern feel. I had to tweak drum hits as they were recorded to a click un-quantized. My new UAD plugin card was the real reason for trying to submit in this fight.
HIRTTT - I think it does in it's musical energy, but wanted to do more in the harmonies to make it more varied. These comments by reviewers are spot on. BTW, the two takes that TheHipCola implemented by the ebowed guitar had one take where the battery died and created a lot of fucked up tones which had to stay which was why the long ending.
WILION - I do. Wish I could have done more.
Eclectic spoons
SW - It's alright. Not much to write home about. - three
P - Kind of monotonous musically, but the EQ is alright in establishing proper space. - 4
HIRTT - It doesn't really relate to anything IMO but to just fucking around and submitting something to Songfight! for the sake of submitting. You must have something more in your arsenal of songwriting than this?! How does painting the front door for your wife relate to the title and that you don't know what it means?! It's just a space, cop-out wank - Zero
WILION - Nope.
Gavin
SW - At least there is an attempt at songwriting which I can appreciate and the wah solo definitely validates this from my perspective. - 8
P - A little too compressed on the master buss. A little rev to make the music work with the vocals. The pitchiness is a little bad in places. Wish there was a build in instrumentation especially in the wake of the song's length. Pop screens are cheap and will help soften those nasty consonants and the acoustic guitar seems like it's recorded direct in which I'm not a fan of. - 6
HIRTT - I can get the right side of it's correlation to the title. - 8
WILION - I don't mind it, but think you could have gotten in and out of it earlier and still got your message across. Better than most in this fight.
Heuristics Inc.
SW - Some thought went into the lyrics of this song and for that I appreciate it. I wish there was more variety in melody, but the music more than makes up for this. - 7
P - Excellent production. I especially liked the way the voice has a quality of occupying the same space as the music. The way the 606 type drum sounds give it that space age sound with the honky synths are great. That eeriness background keyboard sound is a nice offset and creates a darkness. - 9
HIRTT - It does cuz of the lyrics vs. music. - 8
WILION - I don't really like it although I can appreciate it for it's musical integrety there isn't a melody for me to really sink my teeth in.
Jerry Jerk Something
SW - Interesting take on the title. Hooky chorus makes me very happy and there is no alluding to the title in the chorus which makes it clever. Whereas a lot of fighters went for the cosmos you went for party favours. : ) - 9
P - Great seperation in this. I like the way the voice fits in the music. The piano bits are a nice touch. Excellent. Minor Beef: Fade out could have been better executed. - 9
HIRTTT - It does in it's comedic approach. - 9
WILION - Great production plus funny songwriting = I like alot.
Little Smokes
SW - "Like a sugar-cube sinks in your coffee and cream" is a great metaphor, IMO, for the title. The melody is great in concerns to the music. A good song. - 9
P - A little hot in the higher EQ, but for a collab this is excellent. The horns are just fantastic. Period. The backing vocals in the chorus really draw out a great 60's feel. I was especially impressed with the tightness of the low end and the drum fills. Nicely done on those points. - 9
HIRTT - It just does period. - 9
WILION - I liked it more with more listens and this is a definite great collaboration. Excellent job.
Near Global
SW - Short and sweet and to the point. I love the hook of the title in the re-cap - 7
P - Great tones of the distorted keyboard and the vocal gets into the same space as the music. The descending part at the end is great. I hear an edit or some clipping at :30. - 7
HIRTT - It does. The lyrics take it there. - 7
WILION - Not bad, but not one of the best here.
Pipfist
SW - Starting the tune with the title is kind of like when you see the titles for the first time and pick up your guitar and bash it out by singing the title over it. I think that you could have saved that for the next verse or something. The bridge is great, as are the slide moments in assimilating the title or is that the chorus?! - 8
P - The acoustic sounds are great and so is the sound of the slide. The vocals fit nicely in with the sounds, so I really liked the production of this tune. Good space and good seperation. The b/ups are great. - 9
HIRTTT - I'm not sure of the meaning of Samus Aran, but sounds good enough for this androgenous concept of your universe. - 6
WILION - I'd listen to this again.
Rone Riverdale
SW - It's ok in a spoken word kind of way I guess. The looping background doesn't give enough variety to constitute a well-written song. - 4
P - There is a buzz on the track which just bugs me. The looping is monotonous and not very creative. - 2
HIRTT - I guess it does in it's poetic license, but doesn't really work for me for the title musically. - 3
WILION - Not a chance.
Swindle Staccato
SW - Great work in ripping off J$. I find the translation quite funny. - zero
P - Excellent work on space and bottom end. I love the british parody. - 9
HIRTT - It does as does the original. - seven elephants and a pint of draught
WILION - I'm keeping this one. I laughed endlessly about this rendition.
Two Out of Three
SW - It's alright I guess. I think that CR410 did a better rap version for the title. The part for Aristotle was pretty cool. I find the repetition of the title it's undoing. - 5
P - It needs more silence in the spaces, but I love the keyboard pad in the repetition of the title in the pseudo-chorus. Good space for the voice to occupy in the music. Scratching is cool. - 7
HIRTTT - The rap is good in name-dropping and so forth, so this one does alright on that front. I just don't hear rap for this title. - 6
WILION - I did kind of like it, but I wouldn't listen to it again.
Zero Effect with Radio North and Maya
SW - I wish you had posted the lyrics. There are some great hooks for the title. The lo-fi pop core essence of the tune is great. - 9
P - The guitar is a little hot or doesn't go far back in the mix to match the voice or the little bits here and there. With a better mix this could be a really well produced song. The vocals could be a bit more present, but I don't mind the space that they occupy as it is the style you are going for. - 7
HIRTTT - It does alright. Could have been written for any title IMO, but as I just said it does alright. - 6
WILION - I do like it. A lot. Lots of tasty morsels.
Well I got to say I wasn't really too down with most of the tunes for this fight. I thought there was some cool stuff, but was pretty disappointed at the songwriting. Even my own. I thought the title really called for some creative takes on the title.
My favourites were
Little Smokes, Jerry Jerk Something, Pipefist, Zero Effect et al and
Heuristics Inc.
My vote will likely go to
Jerry Jerk Something.
Bill Burley
SW - Great lyrics...... my favourite lyrics for the fight. - 10
P - A little hot in the High Mids and Highs. The vocals sound a little thin. I love the guitar tones as well as the keyboard section. The biggest production issue is in the mix or mastering. I find there not enough low end and too much crispy highs. - 7
HIRTTT - It does cuz the lyrics are fantastic. - 9
WILION - I do. If it had been added I may have voted for it. Needs better production however. The music and vocals are great!
