The Song Fight Bulletin Board

and let me down easy.

Lyrics go here: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=12476

Songs posted!

Ken’s Super Duper Band 'n Stuff
This is enhanced by lovely finger picking and a nice progression. Shows off a full sound and you got a great matching of mood/music/singing. Yes, to the optional challenge. Not certain what it’s all about but the music gave clues on how to feel. There are times when the double-tracked vocals separate into two and there’s a small buzzing somewhere. Only noticeable because it’s the kind of song that seems to demand technical perfection. A victim of its own beauty.

Minna
I would love to see the lyrics as I couldn’t make out all of them. Excellent vocals here and the piano playing, and piano sound, are both nice. The bridge takes a left turn that I’m not sure I was ready for but on second listen I like it more. Some vocal volume levelling might help, but just a couple of times. Doesn’t detract. I like the ending. Good job.

Pigfarmer Jr
This lead guitar sound is just great. The song is nice too and, as always, your drums, bass and singing sound natural and real. I feel like you might not have been certain of where all of the words would go as you sang them but that may be because of that time crunch thing Songfight sometimes creates. Your brief solo is well done. I like the ending of the song as is but when I listen my preference would be to end with something a bit more final, with a drum fill and three hard strums or something.

miscellaneous owl
This is a very hummable melody and I’m a sucker for that. Your voice is highly listenable too. I’m not sure if that is ukulele? I don’t know it fits throughout, or maybe the question is whether it adds anything – but that could be just me. I do love the sound of the keyboard solo but you can let loose on more of the notes for more variation if you want. “Float like dandelion fluff into the empty sky” is a cool phrase, and many can be found within these lyrics, which put clear pictures into my head. A few little recording glitches that could be fixed but nothing that hurts the listening experience for me. A pretty song.

Johnny Cashpoint
I like the chorus on this one. You’ve got your unique sound and the energy you put into it and your commitment pull my enjoyment level up. The rhythms here are sometimes surprising in a good way. The lyrics are fascinating. Who are the sacrificial sinners?

The Craic Pipers
This opening takes me back to my Ireland trip of many years ago. What a highlight! But it also makes me think some filmmaker will one day come a-calling with a soundtrack request for you. The singing and playing here are all skillful, especially the pennywhistle (did I get that right?) playing. This is a superb arrangement. Can’t really say much more. Sounds like you achieved exactly what you were trying to achieve.

The Mellfire Trifecta
I tried to tell a sad story well - but with a rocking beat. You'll be the judges.

MellyP wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 08, 2023 12:49 pm

Johnny Cashpoint
I like the chorus on this one. You’ve got your unique sound and the energy you put into it and your commitment pull my enjoyment level up. The rhythms here are sometimes surprising in a good way. The lyrics are fascinating. Who are the sacrificial sinners?

Since you ask - I wasn't a huge fan of this title or the challenge, and had the music written days before the lyrical idea came into shape. I just had two ideas - seperate verses representing each season and a connecting story about "angry villagers who worship the local waterfall" - like an aquatic based Wicker Man, in other words. I didn't had time to hone the words better into focus however, so "the sacrificial sinners" are the villagers, sacrificing their own children to the water god. The lyric went through so many changes that a lot of that probably got lost. It doesn't really matter in the long run, so it could be about whatever you want it to be.

J$

The Craic Pipers: I'm so far away from my Irish and Scottish listening habits as a teenager (granted it was only via my father's listening habits) that this intro brought to mind the Titanic theme (My Heart Will Go On) more than anything. I would like to apologize for that. I have to admit, though, that this song has made me want to dig out the penny whistle. I like your melody. I would have liked to read the lyric. Still, the phrasing and well placed rhymes were easy to like.

Johnny Cashpoint: That 8-bit like distortion seems left panned to me a bit (am I only dreaming?) and it does nothing to help the masking/muddy feel. But I do like that tone. I also like the doubled? vox. There's a bounce to the chorus that is cool and kind of at odds (in a good way) with the dirty feel of the track. Like a bacon sundae, it shouldn't work but it does.

Ken's Super Duper Band 'n Stuff: Good vox and melody, a highlight right from the start. The guitar parts are great. Honestly, my only nit to pick is that it's has a pretty static level of dynamics throughout. But it's a good song and a good performance so I guess I'm a bit of a jerk for pointing out what is essentially a choice in style.

The Mellfire Trifecta: Solid throughout. I especially like the background ah-ahs. Digging that intro, love those guitars. The melody and relatively happy bounce and feel belie the lyric/message. I think that's a strength and a way to relieve the heaviness factor without being too lighthearted.

Minna: I like the melody. The vocal delivery is an interesting one (in a good way.) The chorus is the highlight for me. A pretty good girl and piano tune. I like how you've managed to give it a dynamic feel with the sparse verse piano vs the prechorus and chorus and how the vocal differentiates between prechorus and chorus. Interesting how you create such a good feel with relatively simple techniques.

miscellaneous owl: I don't know how to say this exactly, but I love how your voice and your melodies feel so... appropriate. Like more than the sum of their parts even though both are great, imo.
The guitar tone is not something I would ever choose but it works so damn well here. The arrangement is a good one. The synth lead bit was a bit of a surprise but.. is that a stylophone? I used mine for the first time a week or two ago.

Pigfarmer Jr: I kind of like my song but there's something about it that I just don't think hit the mark. I was hoping some distance would pinpoint it but it hasn't really. But if my "failures" continue to be this good then I'll be pretty damn happy.

Votes: Ken's SDB&S, Misc. Owl
Maybe votes: Minna, Mellfire

MellyP wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 08, 2023 12:49 pm

Pigfarmer Jr
I feel like you might not have been certain of where all of the words would go as you sang them

There are definitely some timing issues.

I like the ending of the song as is but when I listen my preference would be to end with something a bit more final, with a drum fill and three hard strums or something.

I wanted something more wistful, something that fit the idea of a fading infatuation. But you're point is well taken. Thank you for reviewing.

miscellaneous owl wins!

Congratz Huan-Hua!

Woo! Thanks!