Re: Nur Ein XIV Round Two "Pump The Brakes"
Posted: Mon May 13, 2019 9:10 pm
I once watched a cooking show where during the dessert portion one of the judges took a taste-test and then said, "oh, if I were a fan of chocolate I'd love this." To which I thought; if you're not a fan of chocolate, what are you doing judging desserts??
This is to say that I'd held off on critiquing music prior to now, since for me it often boiled down to "this isn't my preferred style of music." Well, that's not constructive. And to give the music more care and attention would require time I don't have. This week I had some time to listen carefully, and wanted to repay those who had taken the time to review my stuff.
I'm not really qualified to critique music, I'll just tell you what I like.
Abominominous - Really groovy start. The voice and lyrics match the melody and pace of the song. Reminds me of Thee Dog Night, a tad. You sound like you’re having fun.
Agony Sauce - This one made me giggle. If nothing else comes out of this Nur Ein, I'm so glad this song was made because it's so iconic. Your takedown of Berkeley Social Scene is good lyricism (to say nothing of their music, I like BSS).
Also, you hurt my feelings
Berkeley Social Scene - This is my type of song. I like the sound of that lonely guitar. I wish the singing wasn't so muffled!
Boffo Yux Dudes - I think the use of the song title is good. And the drums are pretty catchy. The lyrics are clever sometimes, but I do think you too-often fall back on calling the person's mom fat.
Faster Jackalope - Ahhhh I could talk about this one for awhile. The banjo is so cute and catchy. I heard the lyrics about forearms and I was curious, and then I realized it was about Popeye. I'm a huge comic strip fan, and I thought this was so clever. Putting a more dramatic spin on a silly comic strip gag, I think it is a really inventive style of storytelling.
Frankie Big Face - The tune is so good, and the voice is just the right timbre. The lyrics feel genuine, it’s not just thrown together - There’s a story being told. “And you are the dullest…” letting that line hang, cutting off short, it's clever. I’m all about it. Sounds like Arcade Fire in the best way.
Grumpy Mike - The singing is solid. The background vocals at the start and end are so cool, too. It's not my preferred genre of music, but I think it's a great song. And a good use of the song title.
Lucky Spoon - Instrumentation is so silly, in a good way. I can tell you had fun recording this. “Diss-traction” ahaha. What is the instrument - sounds like a horn - that sounds so goofy and fitting?
Mandibles - Refrain is pretty catchy. With your refrain, it feels natural insofar as how it incorporates the title. I like that the song is about driving, the lyrics are solid. Towards the end, I think the guitar is very “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)”. Not a fan of the vocals, I think there's too much vibratto for my tastes. But then, I suspect this is just more chocolate-critique judgement, so take it with a grain of salt. With that said, I think the rhythmic delivery of the lyrics is a bit off throughout the song.
Merisan - I’m a big fan of the story being told. Maybe it’s obvious to some people listening, but I have no idea what it’s about. It's very ambient and compelling in how it's told. And I like the picture it paints. Sounds like a foreboding Wilson Philips.
Nick Soma - The instrumentation buildup is fantastic. Once the singing starts, I get serious Smiths vibes. Never heard the word “Anesthetized” in a song before. Your vocals are bit too soft, and yes this is the pot calling the kettle black. I wish I could hear your voice louder relative to the music.
Rachael Layne - I love the melody. The chorus is catchy and the instrumentation is totally my “vibe”. I think the lyrics are a bit lackluster. Especially given your target, you could hit a lot harder than you do.
Rain Watt - Love the trace of last week’s song in the start. Like last week, I’m hearing serious Front Bottoms influence. Your delivery on “caring is inconvenient” is SO good. I think the production on this song is really solid. Also very much about the message. Your use of “Pump The Brakes” does not disrupt the song – That is, it fits. To be honest, when I first read your lyrics I was worried they were too on the nose - And I think a less convincing vocal delivery wouldn’t handle them correctly. Your voice cracks are excellent and raw. It's a good pop punk track, and you sold the lyrics really well.
The Sunday Colors - I don’t think I incorporate the song title as well as many others here, but I’m overall happy with how it turned out.
Third Cat - The transition out of tSC and into this made me chuckle. The beat is catchy, mixed with the soft guitar in the back. It’s good. I will say, the lyrics and the vocal delivery don’t seem to match? The song is very mellow and the lyrics are pretty aggressive in some places.
Ujn Hunter + Friends - The chorus is well done, as is the use of the song title. Another example of a song that I think incorporates “Pump The Brakes” smoothly.
Vowl Sounds - Absolutely my style of song. One of my favorite voices in the whole competition, and the harmonies are catchy. This is a song I’d listen to outside the competition, it’s so tight. Reminds me a tiny bit of Rilo Kiley, which is my second favorite band of all time. Huge props.
My absolute favorites are Faster Jackalope, Frankie Big Face, Rain Watt, Vowl Sounds.
This is to say that I'd held off on critiquing music prior to now, since for me it often boiled down to "this isn't my preferred style of music." Well, that's not constructive. And to give the music more care and attention would require time I don't have. This week I had some time to listen carefully, and wanted to repay those who had taken the time to review my stuff.
I'm not really qualified to critique music, I'll just tell you what I like.
Abominominous - Really groovy start. The voice and lyrics match the melody and pace of the song. Reminds me of Thee Dog Night, a tad. You sound like you’re having fun.
Agony Sauce - This one made me giggle. If nothing else comes out of this Nur Ein, I'm so glad this song was made because it's so iconic. Your takedown of Berkeley Social Scene is good lyricism (to say nothing of their music, I like BSS).
Also, you hurt my feelings
Berkeley Social Scene - This is my type of song. I like the sound of that lonely guitar. I wish the singing wasn't so muffled!
Boffo Yux Dudes - I think the use of the song title is good. And the drums are pretty catchy. The lyrics are clever sometimes, but I do think you too-often fall back on calling the person's mom fat.
Faster Jackalope - Ahhhh I could talk about this one for awhile. The banjo is so cute and catchy. I heard the lyrics about forearms and I was curious, and then I realized it was about Popeye. I'm a huge comic strip fan, and I thought this was so clever. Putting a more dramatic spin on a silly comic strip gag, I think it is a really inventive style of storytelling.
Frankie Big Face - The tune is so good, and the voice is just the right timbre. The lyrics feel genuine, it’s not just thrown together - There’s a story being told. “And you are the dullest…” letting that line hang, cutting off short, it's clever. I’m all about it. Sounds like Arcade Fire in the best way.
Grumpy Mike - The singing is solid. The background vocals at the start and end are so cool, too. It's not my preferred genre of music, but I think it's a great song. And a good use of the song title.
Lucky Spoon - Instrumentation is so silly, in a good way. I can tell you had fun recording this. “Diss-traction” ahaha. What is the instrument - sounds like a horn - that sounds so goofy and fitting?
Mandibles - Refrain is pretty catchy. With your refrain, it feels natural insofar as how it incorporates the title. I like that the song is about driving, the lyrics are solid. Towards the end, I think the guitar is very “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)”. Not a fan of the vocals, I think there's too much vibratto for my tastes. But then, I suspect this is just more chocolate-critique judgement, so take it with a grain of salt. With that said, I think the rhythmic delivery of the lyrics is a bit off throughout the song.
Merisan - I’m a big fan of the story being told. Maybe it’s obvious to some people listening, but I have no idea what it’s about. It's very ambient and compelling in how it's told. And I like the picture it paints. Sounds like a foreboding Wilson Philips.
Nick Soma - The instrumentation buildup is fantastic. Once the singing starts, I get serious Smiths vibes. Never heard the word “Anesthetized” in a song before. Your vocals are bit too soft, and yes this is the pot calling the kettle black. I wish I could hear your voice louder relative to the music.
Rachael Layne - I love the melody. The chorus is catchy and the instrumentation is totally my “vibe”. I think the lyrics are a bit lackluster. Especially given your target, you could hit a lot harder than you do.
Rain Watt - Love the trace of last week’s song in the start. Like last week, I’m hearing serious Front Bottoms influence. Your delivery on “caring is inconvenient” is SO good. I think the production on this song is really solid. Also very much about the message. Your use of “Pump The Brakes” does not disrupt the song – That is, it fits. To be honest, when I first read your lyrics I was worried they were too on the nose - And I think a less convincing vocal delivery wouldn’t handle them correctly. Your voice cracks are excellent and raw. It's a good pop punk track, and you sold the lyrics really well.
The Sunday Colors - I don’t think I incorporate the song title as well as many others here, but I’m overall happy with how it turned out.
Third Cat - The transition out of tSC and into this made me chuckle. The beat is catchy, mixed with the soft guitar in the back. It’s good. I will say, the lyrics and the vocal delivery don’t seem to match? The song is very mellow and the lyrics are pretty aggressive in some places.
Ujn Hunter + Friends - The chorus is well done, as is the use of the song title. Another example of a song that I think incorporates “Pump The Brakes” smoothly.
Vowl Sounds - Absolutely my style of song. One of my favorite voices in the whole competition, and the harmonies are catchy. This is a song I’d listen to outside the competition, it’s so tight. Reminds me a tiny bit of Rilo Kiley, which is my second favorite band of all time. Huge props.
My absolute favorites are Faster Jackalope, Frankie Big Face, Rain Watt, Vowl Sounds.