Note: My opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of anyone.
Possible scores:
[awful] [bad] [okay] [good] [great]
Chuck Chuck Moose - I love the band name, for the record. Track makes me groove around in my seat despite the fake drums (I am guilty of using them too, at times.) Nothing in the song jumps out and makes me take notice. I like the vocals. Yep. This is pretty [good].
Dark Liberty - Nice Bassline. It is also very, very <a href="
http://frontalittle.songhole.org/conten ... amiliar</a>. Vocals aren't doing much for me at all. You sound like you are around 12 years old. It's not really a bad composition, and the music actually sounds pretty cool... but the vocals are just [bad] enough to drag it down.
Steve Durand - Creative? Yes. It told a story. It was enjoyable once. I don't see myself listening to it again unless I am in a weird mood. Well, [okay], that does happen from time to time.
Glenn Case - Can't review my own. I will say that this track was as last minute as it gets. I had less than an hour before the deadline when I decided that maybe I could try to do a song. This track is the result of that madness.
Ross Durand - Opening guitar is nice. I am a big Paul Westerberg fan, and in a lot of ways this almost sounds like the style of song that he would do. The thing about PW songs is that the lyrics tend to be incredible. This song's lyrics? They don't grab me. Don't get me wrong, I would still have to say that it is [okay]. Maybe listen to some more <a href="
http://www.paulwesterberg.com" target="blank">Paul Westerberg</a> And <a href="
http://www.ellispaul.com" target="blank">Ellis Paul</a> too.
Marti Mar - Lo-fi drums make me uneasy when I hear them. I believe that I am normally in for something really cool, or really awful. Beat isn't very good, but vocals are uninspired and worse than the beat. This is [awful]. Please note that I LOVE hip-hop when it is done right. Hunter S. quotes seem to fit the track nicely, for what it is worth. I think I would have to be baked to enjoy this at all.
Hostess Mostess - I always have very high expectations when I see this name in a fight. This is not your best, but it's still one of the better entries I have heard in this fight thus far. Nice kick-ins on the chorus. Your voice is unique in a good way, in case I have never told you that before. I think it needs a stronger hook, but it's still [good]
Future Boy - Speaking of names that I have high expectations of... I personally would have liked to have heard a little more of a nasty bass sound than what you went with, but that's just me. I would have liked to have heard you play with the dynamics of this one a little more too. The chorus hook earns a [good] from me, because it's still in my head even though the song is over.
Jay String - Ooh, very nice synth sounds once it kicks in. My head bobs to the beat and I dance around in my chair to this one. Maybe that's why Future Boy didn't use the dirtier sounding bass synth, you used them all! You didn't leave any for him! This can be forgiven, for this track is pretty [good]
HEFTY - Gorgeous guitar tone. Vocal absolutely ruins it for me from the second it comes in. Great music and awful vocals = [okay]. Sorry. Maybe your vocal style will grow on me at some point, but it hasn't at this point. The music really is fantastic. Harmonies aren't even that bad, but the lead vox just grate (in this reviewer's opinion).
Abecedarian - I fully expected another acoustic track, based on the intro. This song badly needs a bass guitar. Nice harmonies. This? This is [okay]. Add a bass, and work with the arrangement a little more, and it could be better, maybe. Wasn't crazy about the sound of the fake drums (again, I am fully aware that I use them too sometimes, so I am not holding that against the overall composition.)
Wayward Sway - Neat intro. I don't know what to expect. Sounds like an experimentation with effects. I used a similar guitar effect on a song I did called <a href="
http://glenncase.songhole.org/content/s ... 3">Anxiety Attacks</a>. Sadly, I think the effect on the vocals actually detracts from the song. If I was listening to this in a live setting, I would be waiting for it to be over. It had potential, but I have to give it a [bad]
Bjam - Not sure if I have ever told you that you have a rad voice, but you have a rad voice. I like the guitar sound. I tend to believe that you are one of the younger songfighters with a severe amount of potential. I look forward to what your songs are going to sound like in a few years if you keep at it. Simplicity works wonders here, as you make me believe every word. First song that I've wanted to listen to more than once. "I can't sleep in a city that doesn't" makes me raise this from a good to a [great] and a potential vote. Great job.
id3 tag - Sometimes basic piano chords work well in a song. I do not believe that this is one of those times. Sounds like you had something else going on besides piano and vocals, but it is so low in the mix that it is nearly inaudable. This is fairly [bad]
Kamakura - Sweet mood setting intro. Was ready to not like the vocals, but they actually work pretty good here. I am bobbing my head to the beat in spite of myself. Background vocals are pretty freeking sweet, as is the kick-in. Not bad. In fact, it's [okay] with me.
Second week in a row where a female vocalist takes the cake in my book. , which is saying something if you look at the percentage of female vocalists in my CD collection. Great job, Bjam. Now it is time to eat some <a href="
http://www.chunky.com/default.aspx" target="blank">Dinner</a>.
ROCK!
Glenn (DR FUNK)