He kicked my ass all the way (Up To My Neck reviews)

[Pigfarmer Jr]

Well, I been up to my neck in trouble
Up to my neck in strife
Up to my neck in misery
For most of my life, I been a fool
And you know what a fool can do

The words you wrote go here: viewtopic.php?t=12840

[Lunkhead]

Thanks yet again for helping out with the review threads, PFJr! Really appreciate it.

[Pigfarmer Jr]

Happy to help. Thanks for doing the heavy lifting.

[Lunkhead]

Songs posted!

[MellyP]

Berkeley Social Scene:

This has a good groove throughout, with even better than usual BSS guitar playing/inventiveness. Good bass/vocal/drums and no complaints with this mix. I am a great fan of the verse, pre-chorus, chorus and solo breaks. I do think the bridge feels a bit out of place - a too-happy/sunny chord structure when I think the song would have stood on its own without it -- or with a different, more moody bridge. Other than that one thing, I love this entry.

Eastern Bay Rivals:

This pulls me into a lazy and good mood off the bat. The verse and pre-chorus are a great launching point. Lyrically it's nice, though I'm missing some of the words. The drums are a bit hollow and light for my liking. Song might have benefited by being slightly shorter. There's true inspiration in that guitar solo! I like the very low vocal part in the chorus, which took me by surprise. The song has flashes of brilliance, but for me it doesn't quite sustain that magic all the way through.

The Hell Yeahs:

When this starts, it reminds me so much of the sound of early 80s Squeeze, but I know they never went quite in this punk/pop direction. Great and fun yet precise, guitar playing. I love the vocals, but I think maybe would have a bit more impact with a more raw, less reverbed, sound. Irreverant lyrics drew me in but I can't say exactly what's happening. I get to choose what I think it means and that works nicely for this one.

Jeff DeSantis:

Best vocal performance of the fight. Compares in a good way to the best Replacements stuff. Might have been cool to add some harmonies ("ahhs" even) if only just during the chorus to help fill the entire canvas. The quieter, breakdown part is a fine touch. Song is simple lyrically but gets the job done. The mix is real nice. If you get more time to work on it, I think you could really improve this with some bells and whistles to support your great vocals.

The Mellfire Trifecta:

This one came together quickly but worked out as visualized. A mix of truth and fiction, exploring loss.

[Lunkhead]

I got a song from Zinkline a few days ago that I missed. I've just added it to the fight now. Sorry the delay, Zinkline!

[Heather. Redmon.]

I know the fight is over, and my reviews don't add much to the conversation, but I wanted to post them so people get to hear a nice thing about their song.

Berkeley Social Scene: I like the main guitar and the bass, they work well together. The lyrics convey that you’re fed up with whatever the situation is. The vocals are strong. I agree with Melly P that the bridge feels slightly out of place, it wrecks the vibe a bit. That said, it is a quality entry from BSS.

Eastern Bay Rivals: Straight away, I feel like this song is too long. The low vocals in the chorus definitely set it apart from the verses, but I prefer the higher vocals there. The Trapper Keeper reference is a nice nostalgic touch, especially for anyone who grew up always wanting one like I did. The guitar solo wanders off a bit, but that’s not bad. Ok, by the end of the song, the length didn’t bother me as much as I thought it would. A solid entry!

The Hell Yeahs: The old story continues! Our character from back in the day (circa 2004-2008) faces the consequences for her actions. If this song were put in story order, it would come right before Bitter Orange

Jeff DeSantis: The lyrics are simple and catchy, and it’s got a good feel to the vocal style! The wreck/neck rhyme is popular, but that’s fine because it works with the rest of the lyrics. The mix is nice and clear, with good production. Well done!

The Mellfire Trifecta: This is a heartfelt exploration of grief and loss. I like the tattoo idea. This has good production and nice guitar playing. The vocals are pleasant, and I enjoyed the story.

Zinkline: The vocals are pretty quiet, so it’s hard to catch the lyrics. Can you post them in the lyrics thread? The drums are so upfront that it’s a bit distracting from the rest of the song. I like the bass, but it’s kind of buried in the mix. The guitar solo was interesting, though. I like the subject matter of the lyrics. I’m sure we can all relate to these workplace frustrations! Alright, I just listened again with headphones and it’s way better.

[Lunkhead]

Thanks for writing reviews! We need all the reviews we can get! I hope folks don't feel like there is a time limit on when reviews can be posted, either. In case it's not clear, voting continues all the way up till when the results are posted, regardless of the deadline for entering the next fight. And heck, folks could review long after that even. We've got nearly 25 years of fights that everyone is welcome to write about.

[Previzla]

Jeff DeSantis was my fav this week. Im guessing big Wilco fan?

[Lunkhead]

The results are in and the fight has been won by ... Eastern Bay Rivals!

[MellyP]

Congrats to the Rivals!