General Music Chat

Mike and I have finished our latest effort called "Hourglass", it's first song on my profile. If you get a moment give a listen and let us know what you think. If not; that's cool too, you're probably out shoveling snow.

Lyrics:
(Intro)
Eyes wide open
Heart unbroken
All a new (all a new)

(Verse1)
Torn with emotion
Lead by devotion
Scorn the idea of the notion
That you won’t find just what you’re looking for

Stems from a vision
Clearer decisions
Just a few minor revisions
To a plan that’s set to only see you grow

Standing on the stage
Turn another page
Fly out from the cage
That had you locked for so long

They will feel for you
As you pull it through
A changed heart so new
It beats within in your soul

(Chorus)
Then I see
A whole new world begin
A whole new world begins
The sands of time descend
Turn the hourglass again

(Guitar Lead)

(Verse2)
Comes from a feeling
Born with the healing
Remnants of the life you were leading
And all the things you’ve should have seen before


Find a direction
Touch the affection
Knowing there will be no resurrection
Of how and when and what it was before

Seeking a way
Through the paths of the day
From the light the shadows
Fade into the floor

Hold the front line
It gets harder every time
Take the steps to shine
Walk through the open door

(Chorus)
Then I see
A whole new world begin
A whole new world begins
The sands of time descend

(Outro)
A whole new world begins
A whole new world begins
The sands of time descend
Turn the hourglass again

An intro would be prudent for this tune, very abrupt insertion into the tune...
A little too abrupt for me imo.

Sour vocal note at 2:08, break out the Antares auto-tune.

Seems like it's halting a little, speed-wise, no?
For my $, I would suggest a slightly faster bpm overall on this one.

It seems like it would take on a Green Day? feel if it was slightly faster, maybe I am thinking pseudo-punk but it's has some interesting stuff in it.

As it is, it's kind of reminiscent of "Soul Asylum" imo.

"As the world begins" part, is that the break?
I am missing that part or not hearing it, it seems to blend and you can't pick out the break easily (well i can't at least).

Still like the Fender Rhodes tune atm, you guys should flesh that out.
That's some quality stuff there..but don't get me wrong, I am not devaluating this either.

Wow, 40 something views and all they get is 'solar wind'?

Ouch.

Definitely needs some intro . . .

Otherwise, really don't know what to say . . . it's catchy, kinda like it.
But to critique something so outside my normal fare ?

Gave it 3 or 4 listens... I didn't mind the early vocal start.
It's tight musically... reminds me a bit of euro 80's-90's sounds. I wouldn't mind hearing it with just a piano and some more vocal emotion. Maybe an unplugged version.
The lyrics/ words/ meaning kind of gets lost to me because of the effects. But i get it if that's part of your sound. That's just my taste... my ears.
Still with that said I did like it.
Thanks for bringing some new music to the table!

Gave it 3 or 4 listens... I didn't mind the early vocal start.
It's tight musically... reminds me a bit of euro 80's-90's sounds. I wouldn't mind hearing it with just a piano and some more vocal emotion. Maybe an unplugged version.
The lyrics/ words/ meaning kind of gets lost to me because of the effects. But i get it if that's part of your sound. That's just my taste... my ears.
Still with that said I did like it.
Thanks for bringing some new music to the table!

Yeah . . . that. Kind of what I was thinking but could not put into print.

Thanks Jahva.

Thanks guys for the input. I thought the vocals to be too bright, were mike’s preference is that they were too warm. It does start abruptly, the beginning part is supposed to be an intro. I guess it just hammers in too quickly without any preliminary. Ah lessons learned, thanks again.

Honestly, I prefer the vocals out front enough so that the articulation of each word / phrase is clearly defined.

The distinction between hot and too hot, is a pretty fine line.

As I get older, I really listen to the lyrics.
They are the most important part of our music IMO.

It does seem to push a vocalist to be his best as well.
A vocal note that wavers off a bit is not easily discernible with the vocals buried in the mix.

Agree with the others regarding the start - jumping right in with the vocals is very abrupt.
Couldn't get into it enough to listen to the whole thing, tried twice. Like wiht George, the lyrics are what does it for me these days, and these seem to go on and on with no discernable direction/development. Might hae worked fo rme back in my LSD-fogged teen years.
The EQ effect on the vocals (is this a plug-in sound?) have been kind of overdone by indie bands these days, don't you think?

I liked the Fender Rhodes demo sound a lot on your 2nd track on the player.

I liked the Fender Rhodes demo sound a lot on your 2nd track on the player.

LOL He doesn't listen. He's an island. I am surprised he listened to Mike.

I find it amusing that you dig that Rhodes tune as well, Mike Birch..
(giggle)(poke)(giggle)

i've been having trouble w my soundcard so only got to check it out now.

cool tune.

for my tastes too much 'verb on everything
too much compression
vocals and gtr solo could benefit from being more out front

i liked the "majesty" of the gtr solo and i think that could be brought out more by doubling it w a harmony or just some spots where it's doubled by another instrument hitting the "bullet points".

a big "points off" for me is the phrasing of the vocals as ev-er-ee-thing is ri-ight on the be-eat. it does get a little better around 2:00 or so in, but it think it'd sit better feel wise w some looser phasing.

my three cents.

i've been having trouble w my soundcard so only got to check it out now.

cool tune.

for my tastes too much 'verb on everything
too much compression
vocals and gtr solo could benefit from being more out front

i liked the "majesty" of the gtr solo and i think that could be brought out more by doubling it w a harmony or just some spots where it's doubled by another instrument hitting the "bullet points".

a big "points off" for me is the phrasing of the vocals as ev-er-ee-thing is ri-ight on the be-eat. it does get a little better around 2:00 or so in, but it think it'd sit better feel wise w some looser phasing.

my three cents.

Mark, you talking about the cadence?

I did notice the A-A-A-B thing, but I didn't want to say that for fear of "picking" or being too critical, otherwise I don't know what you are getting at.

no, scott, not talking about the form... but the way the vocalist begins and ends all his phrases right on the beat. i find that kinda stiff, and that kind of phrasing never holds my interest...whether it's from a vocalist or soloist.

does that make more sense?

Scott I listen just fine. Sometimes I choose to ignore obvious arguments for the sake of my own sanity. My email is one angry environment. A critique is a critique, the pickier the better.

As for the Fender Rhodes, right now we are backed up on Ponder, at least five songs in until we get a set front player and/or singer. I'm working with Mike on a different one, the Fender Rhodes tune is not quite his sort of thing. I don't know what to do with it quit yet. I had Fitz try some vocals on it, but neither of us were happy with how it came out, so I shelved it for now.

lol No you don't, you don't listen until you've got a problem and by then it's too late. (And voila, with a waive of your magic wand, your project is turned into something not your best work.)

It's an occupational hazard when your manning the DAW, the trouble is that sometimes what others say does actually make more sense than what one was thinking at the time. Sometimes it's good to take a break as well, otherwise too many hours impedes your judgement or lack thereof.

This is why it's good to consult more than one set of ears and more than 1 brain at the conclusion of the meaty part of creation. The trouble is that when you're good out of the gate like you were, no one would ever consider the fact that you weigh your opinion to be more than 1 vote. This can be detrimental to what you are working on, especially when what you were thinking was incorrect.

But you are the tie-breaker or worse your opinion should count for more, or so you thought even when you are flat out, dead wrong for whatever reason.

I won't even touch the sanity comment. Then again, takes one to know one, right? lol

And no, I don't think you do like a really real type critique. I may be wrong, but you struck me as taking some comments as personal attacks.
That mystified me as the music "is what it is". People shoot from the hip, there generally is no right or wrong, just what they think.

If I get comments I don't particularly like or agree with on a piece, I ask more people what they think. If many people all say the same thing, I figure it must be "gospel".

That seems to be an unpopular option to some. I think it's the equivalent of suicide not to proceed in that manner..but that's just my opinion.

Why don't you have Mike play for Ponder? That way you kill 2 birds with one stone? He's not bad and you can even lord over him and not have to worry about him disagreeing with you. He seemed like a nice chap and I'm sure he'd get along nicely with the other guys.

What happened to the chick with 4 octaves? lol I bet she'd do some real damage on the Fender Rhodes piece. It's a quality piece as I remember that one got burped out in record time the last session, but sometimes that's the way it happens.

Fitz? You mean the dude with the bass>? lol
Yeah well, not everything works out for the best. That's unfortunate, but very true.

"When at first you don't succeed, try, try again".

And yeah, Mark, I get what you are saying now. He sounds kind of stiff, I just thought it was part of the style, but he's far from awful.

He sounds ok to me.
I think the more he works at it, the better he'll be, period.

You have to work with what you got and the more your hone your craft, the better you are.