When I first noticed the title of your album, the first thing that came to mind was Fernando’s – One trick pony, from his album Enter to Exit. http://cdbaby.com/cd/fernandov4 Great artist, decent album
Ok, now to your one trick Pony.
Walking with a Stranger nice long intro, good way to start off an album. Is that a 12 string being picked? Or just a really really bright acoustic? Really like the picking. Wish this song had some kind of bass track to help counterbalance the brightness of the acoustic. Wow, really like the line “I went walking with a stranger, and ended standing with a friend.”. The vocals are not that bad, but they sound a bit burry in the mix, which is a shame, as their pretty good.
Cold Front Uhh! Fancy guitar playing. That’s a pretty sweet guitar riff there; its not standard tuning is it? Pass the 1:30 mark, am expecting something new, but I guess is just a pure acoustic track. There’s some really good guitar licks, and loves the palm mute stuff, but at 4:46 long is a bit stretch. This would probably make a good 1:30-2:00 long song.
Country Girl All right your guitar playing style is growing on me. Your soft vocals styles do not match the intensity of the music. Sorry bro. Uh! A nice honky tone piano break in this song would have been cool. Theirs a solid song here just needs a different vocal tone. I think.
Lucky Us Yes! Some percussion on this one. This song is great example of where the music style match the vocal tone/range; their both in the same level, and they play nice together. Am picking up on some of your writing, and there’s some well crafted lyrics, but again the guitar playing and soloing is what really out shines.
Nightlife That’s some great guitar play dude, love the guitar tone too. A bit of Pink Floyd vibe. Wish it had more of a structure, or that it went somewhere.
Artificial Heart This is just me, but I think this song would get a better response if it was just a striped down guy & guitar song. It has genuine intriguing lyrics and great guitar playing(like always). The electronic drum kit, and FX on the vocals just get on the way of the soul of the song. Like the slow build up towards the end. The Bend Ahh, the treatment I wanted to hear in the last song, you have it to this song. Maybe a bit too much on the reverb? Also have considered using some d-esser to soften up the vocals? Might help just a bit.
Wander Nice, long and droning. I used to go to sleep to this music. Uhh that low string section at 1:45 comes in just right. Interesting piece, a bit playful, but there’s always new elements coming in and out. The outro is the best part.
Simple Things Great way to finish of the off the album. Probably the best song on the album. Simple, clean and tasteful guitar playing, with good lyrics. Good length too. If the album had more of this type of songs, it would have flow a lot better.
Best from the album: The crafty but tasteful guitar playing and guitar tones. Thoughtful and genuine lyrics from time to time.
Things that can improve: Considering that maybe 90% of the people here are non-singers (me included) this pretty much applies to must of us. Developing more of a melodic vocal style, and learning how to hit low / high notes with your voice.
Best tracks: Simple things, walking with a stranger, artificial heart, cold front, country girl.
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Melting Embers
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Re:Critique of the Critique thread - 2008/03/21 05:27Hey VIVIANCIRCLE, you have to give a review before you get one (see first post on thread). I'm pretty sure it's room34's turn to be reviewed.
Don't worry, you're not the first to make that mistake.
Anyways, I finally got the rest of my stuff up on my profile and I plan on reviewing tomorrow while I'm at work (haha, I have a tough job). I'm starting to feel some anxiety about getting reviewed and everyone can see. We mainly threw this album together and only had 2 nights of actual recording time. I'm somewhat embarrassed of how a lot of the songs turned out. I am, however, proud that we did actually finish, and there is a lot (in my mind) of potential. I plan on re-recording the whole thing.
What made me feel so bad about my album was when I listened to Sarah Kenvyn's........good god, her stuff is AMAZING! Seriously.
Still I guess I'll push through the embarrassment and anxiety because it has been very constructive criticism that I've seen here. If one wants to get better that is what they need.
Toni
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dre
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Re:Critique of the Critique thread - 2008/03/21 07:11Melting Embers wrote: What made me feel so bad about my album was when I listened to Sarah Kenvyn's........good god, her stuff is AMAZING! Seriously.
Holly shit man! You ain’t kidding!
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Strummindude...still working on the review, bits and pieces. Seconds here and there, it looks like, but I'll finish it!
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lyman
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Re:Critique Thread: Want Your Album Reviewed? - 2008/03/21 15:41thanks for taking the time to listen, dre! i appreciate the compliments but the suggestions for improvement are more valuable. yeah, that was a 12 string on the first song. and "wander" wasn't synths, just one track of electric guitar improvised. it's basically filler, as is why "cold front" was so long. i feel like your review was right on the money.
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At first, i thought, "I'm not the guy to review this type of music - i'm trying to write radio hits (!) with an acoustic guitar and this stuff is from another planet". But i spent alot of time with it. You have to. I read all the stuff on the Rm32 web site
http://room34.com/music/unnatural
and it's a very deep, complex and interesting topic. This is something that is very important to the writer.
Also, the process of reading the authors intentions and inspirations on the web site reminds me of the days, 30 yrs ago when I’d tear the plastic off a brand new LP and read it from front to back while it scratched along on the turntable - which we sorta lost w/ CD's and def lost with DL's.
Anyway, yesterday i listened on cheap PC speakers at the day job - today i brought in a good set of cans - i'm shutting out the world and listening and typing.
(also Virb kinda sucks - it falls asleep on me from time to time - i gotta futz with the pause/play button - drives me nuts - anyone else have this?)
I really thought someone would beat me to the review since i spent a couple of days on it - but here we go - i type poorly so please be patient...
1. The Road to Nowhere (Zzyzx) Cool fade intro right into the rock band with cool vocal effect. Kind of a rap thing with a slap delay and the low mids sucked out of the voice. Top notch production. I like the lyrics - they set the whole project up. Song changes on the dime from the rock band to synthy, spacey cut tempo stuff and then right back to the 120bpm again. Great guitar / bass tones- great stereo image - some Frankenstein drumming - (samples? drums are well recorded). Great first impression, opening track and i can't say it enough how well it sounds. How do you get this much done in 12 days?
2. The Salton Sea, Pts. I & II i. The Salton Sink ii. The Deluge The first tune was as close as he could get to my 'style' of music with a traditional guitar/bass/drums/ 'verse' and vocal message. Now it gets spacey. I'll no longer compliment on production - it's top notch and i won't keep beating you over the head with that. This tunes captures his mood of 'alone and 'space' as described on his page. It gets complicated. the drums synch up amazing with the tricky synth riffs. Again the stereo field is very important to the tune and does not let you ignore any little part. Great stuff - and it's not long and drawn out. It's edited for the listener. not self-indulgent.
3. Centralia > River of Fire (Cuyahoga) > Centralia (Reprise)
Great piano melody backed up with a great bass line. Drums off-center adds space. Seems the tune is climbing and then is falls to the dancing synth part...drum beat may be too distant here and then the tom hits come in on the other ear and fills up well. I think the end of the tune is still interesting but would have liked it to come back to the piano/bass melody from the beginning. Great organ solo at the end. To my ears this tune may sound a little 'thin' - maybe cuz the drum beat is distant. It's clear but it's not 'big bottom'. This one gets a little long but again - so many changes keep it interesting. AH! There’s that piano part again - nice! with the weird synth stuff dancing again. very cool
4. Free (or Best Offer)
Funky harsh tones. Very filtered sounds - clever lyric - vocal effect. Not a 'throw away' at all. CRE-A-TIVE (writer offers that he keyed all the notes in with his computer keyboard - no 'instruments were harmed in anyway to make that tune'
5. Pripyat and the Nuclear Sarcophagus
Wide open - synth licks rattling back n forth in my head. Does a great job of supporting one synth passage from the left side with a flattering piece on the right. The sounds work together - he's been doing this for a long time (yet he claims he was done with this entire CD on Feb 13th...wtf? Again, not long, not boring, edited for the listener...and i do hear nuclear meltdowns, eruptions, trickling of poison...even if i didn't read the description. The whole tune seems 'sneaky' and full of deceit - is that possible? lol
6. A Night at the Ryugyong Hotel
I like the stage for this tune and the sounds are right in line with what he's trying to convey. It has a feeling of being the last standing man in an empty city. You almost have to struggle to hear it in certain parts (which is by design) - you think it's gonna fade away and then it comes back a little stronger. The notes are bouncing - elusive maybe. Some rhythm builds up with the low left hand and then they come together...fade out. Short - effective.
7. No Bridge on the River
This tragedy is still very much in our memory so i feel i can relate. I like the melody of the 'horn' sounding synth. Drums are a little thin (i know he does not want alot of real estate for the drums but i would prefer a little more). Love the ending build up to the piano. The piano sounds so sweet. Maybe it tells the story of the loss after the tragedy. i get the evening news flashbacks of the damage in my brain. The drums come in to hold the piano down. the high 'string' synth is nice - it adds the drama, the sorrow. And then there’s the part that speaks to the 'reason' of the tragedy. The hind-site and the neglect. Just a very short outro. Perfect.
8. The Salton Sea, Pts. III & IV
This subject matter seems quite important to the author. I think i read he was geographically near this wasteland. Very cool bass. The composition gives the feeling of a 'hollow greatness' to me...with the triumphant horns/strings thingies on top - a sluggish beat on the bottom and that thumping bass. I like that sharp melody of the electric organ - it snaps out of the big notes to the sharp poppy line and makes you notice (that's what this is all about - awareness). Alot of different sounds and rhythm parts with the repeating of the electric organ melody. And there’s a great guitar solo, Gilmore-ish with a cool wah effect (i think) - fits in there nicely, again quite modest. You get start to get the feeling at the end is sorta sad, the keys are playing long, large notes and then it drops to a lower level - and then bam! - Electric guitar - cutting chords harmonized by the organ with a very rock beat - up tempo...freaky synths dive bombing and shrills...big climactic finish.
<-again Virb troubles - i can't get to play the last track - grrrrr! i just realized i can play from the original web site - doi >
9. Unnatural Disasters
Starts with dancing synths on top of slap bass. Right and left synth parts are complex on top of the repeating bass and hi hat groove thing. It's cool - it's busy...and then back to the rap vocal which wraps up all of the many topics demonstrated in this entire collection...i think the echo is not as prominent on the vocals nor is the filtering - it's more legible than the beginning vocal (i think). Sweeping and tremmy horn-like synth takes over with bends and shrills - alot going on. It has a feeling on 'completion' - picture the credits rolling on a black screen at the end of the movie. I expected it to fade into the night but then it pops this little exclamation point and done.
Technetium
i think this is an earlier piece based on some crazy math / science / chemistry equation - the author confesses to being 'a geek' and i have to agree . the sounds are harsher on this piece - not as rich and complex as this years effort. it's probably more of the production skills developing over the year. This tune doesn't seem as focused - more random sounds and notes popping around the stereo field. It fits with the other stuff i just hear sonic differences. The drums are 'Casio' sounding where as the rest of the sounds on previous tunes are more believable.
Overall - i feel that i've broadened my narrow horizons into the techno pop / experimental world. Not sure this will inspire me to run out and buy the new Mars Volta or anything but it was fun, enlightening, entertaining, educational and just plain cool! Hats off to the author and please explain how this was all completed in two weeks! Surely you need a day job, a woman and dependency! (haha just kidding)
Thank you for your hard work! You are very good at what you do!
For anyone interested in reviewing our project, it starts here with lyrics and notes with links to Soundclick – but the order of the tunes on Soundclick is wrong…anyway…
I reviewed Dre's CD titled "LOIANO - unbelievable things people believe" First off this will not be a song by song review, though I did listen to all 10 songs on the CD. All the instruments, and they are many, are well played or programed and each can be heard clearly. I love 9 of the 10 songs, as instrumentals. Great arrangements, beautiful melodies, really awesome stuff and very well recorded and mixed.
I don't want to sound harsh or mean, as I am not the best singer either. But your music would be much better served without the vocals. It would make a great instrumental album, really awesome stuff. My hat is off to you on what you accomplished in a month and your web site indicates that you are very prolific in your production of music. The music showcases your many talents.
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KevinEmmrich
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Re:Critique Thread: Want Your Album Reviewed? - 2008/03/22 00:19Since I have had my CD reviewed 3 times, I figured I might as well try and do at least another one. I'll pick one that has already been reviewed here (keep it in the family, so to speak). It is a lot of work, but it has its own rewards. I probably won't get to it today, but I'll tackle it this weekend. Or maybe I'll do mini-reviews of a few of them -- I don't know yet.
I am listening to Dre's CD right now, so that will be one of them for sure.
EDIT: Are BKOZ and the Triptones the only ones that currently need a review? Someone needs to step up!
Kevin cville ramblings
Post edited by: KevinEmmrich, at: 2008/03/22 00:21
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First I will say this Genre of music is what I grew up with(I have my parents vinyl records of Jame Taylor, Neil Young, Simon and Garfunkel and Bread).
The majority of it is quite well executed and pleasing to the ears. Wasn't sure what songs were RPM tunes or not......
My only points of comment are:
"I've seen the light" was a well written song but has a bit of distortion in the vocals or overall mix.
Other wise I think your songs are well written and the acoustic guitars sound great. Good use of Reverb.
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Melting Embers
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Re:Critique Thread: Want Your Album Reviewed? - 2008/03/22 04:43I picked oumorning to review because I liked that you had a short review, so not so much is expected of me, but I ended up writing a lot anyway. So, I won't be hurt if I get a short review.
Few seconds into the first track, a crooked smile formed on my face. Some what of an odd reaction from me, but don’t worry, it was a good, odd reaction. I didn’t really know what to expect because I went straight to your link and I haven’t checked your RPM page yet. I just read your review and you mentioned Simon and Garfunkle so I was surprised by the electronic sound. .
Anti-Weather: FUN song! I like this beat a lot. Have you done more with this track, if so I would love to hear it! (actually, went back and listened to it like 6 times, love)
Listening as I’m writing….on Gone: The hard hitting beats mixed with the cries of a sorrowful violin adds so much drama. Me like.
Verbatim: another great musical composition. Catchy guitar riff. Maybe more subtle effects on the vocals (little overwhelming).
These songs could be the soundtracks for a killer badass vampire slayer movie.
Recording sounds really great (can’t say the same for ours, we’re definitely lacking in the recording smarts, something we’ll work on for next time).
Vocals, not the strongest (I can’t really say much, mine are quite shameful in spots), but you make up for them by still trying different things with your voice. From quick raspy whispers to soft oooo ooos (Treasure). In Treasure, also noticed a lot of pops/hiss in the vocals, does that make sense? It’s like too much breath in the mic, I think.
This is an interesting genre that I am not very familiar with but I really enjoyed it. It was a little lighter (User) in some places than I expected it would be, beat wise. Which balances well with the darkness of the melody.
Overall I really enjoyed your musical arrangements, I think that is most definitely your strongest point. Regretfully, I didn’t really dive very far into the lyrics due to time, my apologies. I hope some of this helps you in a constructive manner. I think you’re very talented, just work on making the vocals stronger. Just takes practice, they’re just like any other instrument.
After reading your bio on the RPM page I see that you have accomplished the unique sound of which you describe.
Now I’m biting my nails wondering if I really want to hear what someone has to say about our songs….in my mind, I’m nit picking the many major flaws with it that are sooo obvious (vocals, recording quality, and about a hundred more things), but I’m going to bite the bullet and say, HAVE AT IT. Maybe there are some things that I don’t realize, and it will be nice to get a fresh prospective from a complete stranger.
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I more so read all of the info that he put on that virb link. I'm very impressed with all of the thought that he put into all of that stuff. I love it when artists have something with substance behind the music, it makes it all the more interesting.
I checked out all those links too about all those freak accidents and I had only heard of couple of them before. Your music has made me smarter and better informed about the world, thanks!
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room34
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Re:Critique Thread: Want Your Album Reviewed? - 2008/03/22 05:56Thanks to everyone who checked out my stuff and especially to Triptones for the great review! It means a lot especially to get such positive feedback from someone who's not into the "out there" music so much. I know what I do is pretty far from the mainstream, but as experimental as it might get, I always want it to be listenable (mainly because I want to make music that I want to listen to, and although I went through a phase of listening to about the most out-there stuff imaginable... free-form improvised concrete music, ultimately I still prefer stuff that, to some extent, "makes sense" and is enjoyable, not just "mentally challenging").
If I can help bring some awareness of the crazy stuff that exists in the hidden corners of our world, then that's even better. I was really excited about this project (I actually had been contemplating the idea for about 6 months prior to RPM, but needed the challenge as a catalyst to do it), and I'm glad I was able to get my message across through the music.
Oh, and as far as needing "a day job, a woman and dependency"... Well, I'm married with two young kids, and I work full-time. I recorded this entire album between the hours of 10 PM and 2 AM each night after the kids were in bed. That explains how everything on it is electric or MIDI. I would have liked to throw in some acoustic guitar, saxophone, and real percussion (all of which have usually been part of what I do), but it would have woken people up!
As far as the dependency goes... I'm a caffeine junkie, and I do enjoy a beer or wine (or two) many nights, but that's about it.
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First I will say this Genre of music is what I grew up with(I have my parents vinyl records of Jame Taylor, Neil Young, Simon and Garfunkel and Bread).
The majority of it is quite well executed and pleasing to the ears. Wasn't sure what songs were RPM tunes or not......
My only points of comment are:
"I've seen the light" was a well written song but has a bit of distortion in the vocals or overall mix.
Other wise I think your songs are well written and the acoustic guitars sound great. Good use of Reverb.
Thanks for the Review UO and your kind words - all the songs were RPM songs Geezer was this year's submittal. The other one, Highway 59, was our 2007 RPM CD. The distortion in I've Seen the Light is a Virb artifact .
Oz
Post edited by: Bkoz, at: 2008/03/22 16:51
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GOING HOME: so professional, so well produced, its silly. i can tell by the first rim shot this album is going to sound great. not to pun on the song about traveling, but its a difficult road to travel, that of the seemingly straight-up acoustic-folk artist. (i am writing all this as i listen, so perhaps that will change). so many have come before and its hard to cut new ground, to sit somewhere different instead of fading into the dust. maybe you will do this. and if not, there's still this wonderful area where something may still be extremely talent-driven and incredibly enjoyable to listen to.
in this track, im having a feeling of being a bit turned away by the lyrics. some of the lines, including "on a dark and lonely road" and "i need the feel of you in my arms" are a bit too familiar for me, but im super picky when it comes to lyrics, so maybe that’s a bit of me. for the type of music, they fit very well, and i picture a crowd, mostly couples, swaying along to this tune on the grass of an outdoor show, or perhaps lying on a boat in a lake, having some drinks with friends. the crowd, however, is predominantly 20 years older than me, and i am going to have to keep this in mind as a reviewer and you, as the reviewee.
love the chord that keeps showing up on "day." very sensible, very indicative of good songwriting. the "er" in "together" is a bit pronounced for me. very nice ending. nice to not hear a giant end on the tonic chord. smart.
TASTE LOVE AGAIN: good songwriting."happiness turn to emptiness" is nice. the "in the end you'll find that tomorrow still brings the new dawn" is not only a nice line, but my favorite moment of the album thus far. nice harmonies, man. excellent intonation and sensibility in the tones you chose. nothing surprising or incredibly unique, but its just as likely that wouldnt fit this song, and so far, your style. excellently done and ear-pleasing. that also seems to be you. solid, crisp, and very marketable. i know many people who would love this, and buy it in a second. channeling springsteen a bit in some of these vocals. these headphones are nothing to be psyched about, but your drum tone is. heh. don't hate me. but im getting a tad of "kiss the girl" in the lines before the solo! (which is great as well. love the bent note...entire solo perfectly fitting in a truly no noodle zone.) DO WHAT YOU WANNA DO: okay, picking up a bit here, a bit of something new. and then the vocals come in im still bopping my head for sure, but the verse doesn't end up as hooky as the intro. chorus is stuck-in-headable. "and ill wait until you do what you wanna do" line is just, like, man, you're a songwriter. definitely a commercial one, from what i can hear. i dont know what you're going for because i dont know you personally, but you're solid as stone. and oh...the voice-guitar unlyric-ed melody is great! nice hook! and repeated the perfect amount of times. part of me likes the percussive ending, part of me thinks its a bit wedding bandish...too polished.
YOU AND I: awesome! i wonder if the last thing you would compare yourself to would be radiohead, but the middle section of paranoid android is perhaps the evil cousin of this tune. love the diminished (?) chord on one of the "I's in there. or is it "die?" this tune is my favorite so far. i want to put it on in the dark sometime. love the playing around and editing at the end.
TRY AGAIN: good little groove. nice separation, keeps it sparse enough to work well between all instruments. again, this song is a great piece of songwriting. with the tightness of the background vocals, solid melody, and cute intermediary chord leading back to the verse, this is great.
oooohhh triple guitar solo. depending upon the listener and what they’re expecting this is either cheesy and overproduced or damn excellent. as i said, i don’t see myself putting this on too much in my everyday life because it’s a little off what i tend to listen to, but others would love this, and you know exactly how to hit that pocket of what’s desired in this type of music. if it’s a formula, you’re solving it. OVERTURE: beautifully composed and performed. very introspective and thoughtful, could be sold as a traditional classical piece. tone is wonderful, but i would have liked to hear this on a classical/spanish guitar. yes yes yes, this is greatly done. i love hearing your body move in the middle, perhaps re-setting the guitar. gives it a very real, there you are playing music feel.
negative time. this very much surprised me. after listening to the rest of the record, very well executed but pretty straight-forward alt-country rock tunes, i am simultaneously intrigued and let down by this track. because i listened to it after the aforementioned songs, i am very impressed and pleasantly surprised by the intricacy and depth of the harmonies/chordal structure. i’m almost thinking “THIS came from the guy who wrote “going home?’” it just strikes me as worlds beyond the other tunes, and seems to come from a less commercial, more thoughtful, and, honestly, more interesting and engaging artist.
if i had heard it BEFORE the others, however, i would have instantly been impressed, and anxiously awaited the rest of the album, which may have eventually let me down for its more narrow focus, no matter how well done. i may have expected something more intricate, more challenging.
this being said, i dare all others reading this to write a better piece of classical guitar work. i could not play this though i would eventually like to. from a music student, im equally impressed with the performance as the sheer musical knowledge and talent that went into writing it. excellent, excellent, excellent, jana. whereas the other songs draw up images of barbecues, tans, and a large party atmosphere, i am making a playlist for a nice semi-formal dinner/wine party and i can see myself using this.
THE HOMECOMING: man. you are straight up good enough to play every instrument in a band. too bad the cloning thing isn’t working quite yet. oh yeah...i love this intro to the chorus. besides “overture” this has easily stolen the place as my favorite place in your music so far, and my favorite song as well. great transition to the new key, and the chord on “dreams” and following chord to bring us back in the verse chords is great. best track so far definitely.
great guitar solo as well. i love how with your music, there is NO way of guessing your primary instrument. i am very jealous. this is a bit more likely to be put in my cd player, and i think i may just have to. (but probably not until the summer...it’s just that kind of tune).
WOULD THAT I COULD: nostalgic and heartfelt. some nice melodies. the crispness with which you hit every, single, damn, note, is impressive, and something to shoot for for all RPMers and musicians everywhere.
and yes! a surprising chord change to “these years”....and great chord on “to be with you again.” it’s stuff like this that keeps my ears going, keeps me excited once i start to slip away into the lilting melodies. this track is great.
OVERALL CLOSING ON “THE SAUNA TAPES”
i want to put a detective on the case that you made this album in one month. sounds better than months and months of other artists' work. brilliant production.
i apologize for not listening to the entire thing in order, and hope that hasn’t affected my review. i did more of a track-review type thing in that respect, whereas i didn’t get into flow or motion in the cd itself. feel free to message me an i’ll see what i can do.
im not really terribly into this kind of music per se, but would very much enjoy it at the right moment. im thinking a vacation with friends, where you dont want your musical brain to be beaten to death, you want it coddled and lovingly stroked like lenny strokes a mouse. and that's exactly how it would be treated. i am just 23, so this isn’t perfect for my age group, but when im 33, i could see having a copy of this around for the right moment.
if you're looking to blow minds and tear a giant hole in the fabric of existing music, i dont really see that happening. but this is a very good record, and if you're looking to carve a place to sit in comfortably and stay for a long while (long enough to decorate, put up wallpaper and the like), where others will jump to get in with you and live in a world of your music, you're not really on your way. you're there.
Post edited by: Night Driving, at: 2008/03/24 21:38
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tangmo
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Re:Critique Thread: Want Your Album Reviewed? - 2008/03/22 21:39great read, Night Driving. Just when I thought the thread was going to devolve into grunts and squeaks. Makes me want to drag this one through the modem.
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KevinEmmrich
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Re:Critique Thread: Want Your Album Reviewed? - 2008/03/22 23:19Night Driving: Excellent, in-depth review. It takes time and commitment to work up one like that. Great thread, excellent all-around.
Kevin cville ramblings
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But I gotta say this. I'm so thoroughly impressed by a 23 year old giving my music even the time of day. I think that the review says way more about this particular 23 year old than it says about any of my music. And I've heard his stuff. He's way more than your average 23 year old. I'm humbled by and extremely grateful for his openmindedness. I know that half my life ago, I wouldn't have had even a smidgeon of his respect for the stuff of previous generations. This guy is destined for greatness. He has the smartness to steal the good stuff from what preceeds him, and the ambition to make an impact on the scene of his peers. Watch out, I say! And Good Luck!
Jana, the Strummin Dude
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Thanks for the review. Wasn't as painful as I thought it was going to be.
Vocals.... Ugh, I know.... I felt so rushed during all of Feb and then I finished early.... Guess I know better for next year, Just because I think I'm done means I should go back look at my work. HA!
Thanks for the Kind words!
I like your tunes BTW.
Bkoz, No prob. Anyone who can pull off good folk is awesome to me.
-Rik
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First of all, before listening to any music, I have to say that I am slightly intimidated on account of you a) being real musicians and b) being bigger than me. On the other hand, you are several thousand miles away and from reading your biography, I feel that you probably write the kinda thing I might like. I have fairly eclectic taste but tend to listen to rock and metal more than anything (that and nursery rhymes and queen on account of a demanding three year old girl)!
I’ve reviewed this by listening to the tracks and writing my first impressions and then adding comments to those impressions. I’m not a musician, so have just reviewed this as I listen and feel about it.
OK, kerb appeal. The name Triptones is fab and I love the album cover; I was gutted to note that you aren’t actually the same guys as the cover shows, but never mind. Right, into the music…
No more lonely nights F**k me! It’s The Fratellis. But then turns into the Beatles “Twist and shout”. This is nothing like I was expecting, I am rapidly re-aligning my expectations – luckily I like all sorts of stuff! This whole song revolves around a simple chord progression and is driven along by the lead guitar. This feels like an opening number from a live set and I can imagine the dance floor filling up. The production is undeniably “live” and the track benefits from it. Like it.
Busted Again Quite a contrast from the opener. Enjoyable lyrics, I have no idea where Cheshire USA is, but the lyrics reek of (my imaginary) southern gambling dens. I suppose you could say that they tread a well worn path, but the “lady luck can’t be trusted” line is cool. The backing vocals really work on the chorus and are very clear in the mix. Once again, there is a “live” feel to the whole thing which makes it easy to accept some raw vocal moments
Give it to me More rocky blues here. This album is evolving as I listen to it, we’ve gone from “rock n roll” to blues to rock. This one reminds me of Lynyrd Skynryd (spelling?) and could easily nestle in at about number 5 on one of their albums. The main riff is pleasing and links nicely into the solo that’s whirring away at about 1m 30s. This song sounds less “live” and more “studio” and I’m not that fits with the feel of the album.
Lift me up Once again I’m in Lynryd Skynyrd land although from about half way through the first minute I’ve got a very Thin Lizzy feel coming through. Once again, no bad thing! The group vocals work well on this track and the honky tonk piano is effective and not too intrusive.
Shadows Discordant opening chords, far left guitar is distracting. Vocals are interesting in style and the backing and lead vocals mesh extremely well. Break in style at about 1m 20s into a bridge that I thought was going somewhere; but didn’t. The guitar notes are discordant and provide a jarring note throughout that fits well with the lyrical intention of the song and its lunacy theme. Introduces a synth for the first time (only time? Why only once?) into the mix. Not really my cup of tea.
MDMA Jimi Hendrix tribute! As an aside, I’m told that Jimi used to play snooker at a club I frequented as a teenager; maybe I’ll start a bizarre claims to fame thread. I’m not sure the drum solo, which sounds a lot more drum machine than the songs so far, works in the context of the rest of the song which does it’s tribute to psychedelia pretty well – where is the sweaty bloke hammering the skins for five minutes?!
Part of Me We’re back in Beatles territory for this (mainly on the back of the oooh vocals I think), but there’s something else about this I can place my finger on. The plucked acoustic guitar is lovely. The bongo drums struck me as working well – I wondered for a moment if they were a bit much and am now undecided whether the whole thing would sound better if it was just the “shaker” sound in the back ground. Umm, yes, I think drop the bongos and go for a really stripped down feel, which would fit with the heartfelt lyrics. I’m a sucker for a simple love song and this is hitting the right notes.
Come and Gone Dunno what it is with this one, but initial impression is that I’m not feeling drawn in. The tempo change between verse and chorus is a great idea and the chord progression in the verse is different enough to capture the attention. The guitar solo is accomplished, but I just can’t help but feel that this song is a filler.
Gravity and Mountain Song These two are not downloading from the demo bit on the profile, so I can’t go any further.
So overall view. Well done guys. It’s professional sounding and you’ve obviously spent a fair amount of February in the recording studio and have worked hard (the house looks lovely by the way and I yearn for your lack of close neighbours!). There aren’t any songs that jar badly or sound too weak, so I think it stands as an album and a piece of work. There were a few things I wasn’t sure about, but little that I totally disliked. I think the opening song doesn’t fit too well with the rest of the album (which obviously does belong to the same stable) but it is a strong song and did hook me in to the rest of the listening experience. I enjoyed listening (and have downloaded the songs) and I think I can sum up my feelings best by the fact that I was actually disappointed that the last two songs wouldn’t download!
Good luck hawking it around!
cheers
Chris
P.S If anyone else wants a review, drop me a mail and I’ll try to accomodate
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The Triptones
User Junior Boarder
Posts: 9
Karma: 1
Re:Critique Thread: Want Your Album Reviewed? - 2008/03/23 03:49Woah Templaar - you're too kind. i wonder why i have a problem with the DL sites. Could you tell me which site you were using to hear the tunes? Virb or Soundclick?
But regardless, thank you for the kind words, and the time to listen. I guess that's what impresses me the most with this thread and this project all together is the time you all take to dive into these unknown projects and the fact that you sit down and try and point out the pros and cons.
thanks again to you and every one else who has PM'd us with positive feedback. I plan on running up to the Portsmouth for the party, hope to meet you all there (although i know that's not possibe)
Templaar? do you not have an entry? i can't seemt to find one.
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Night Driving
User Platinum Boarder
Posts: 108
Karma: 6
Critique Thread: Want Your Album Reviewed? - 2008/03/23 04:34Jana a.k.a. Strummindude...thank you for the kind words. I very much appreciate them. Bummer we won't be able to meet at the listening party.
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Again, not long, not boring, edited for the listener...and i do hear nuclear meltdowns, eruptions, trickling of poison...even if i didn't read the description. The whole tune seems 'sneaky' and full of deceit - is that possible? lol
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It means a lot especially to get such positive feedback from someone who's not into the "out there" music so much. I know what I do is pretty far from the mainstream, but as experimental as it might get, I always want it to be listenable (mainly because I want to make music that I want to listen to, and although I went through a phase of listening to about the most out-there stuff imaginable... free-form improvised concrete music, ultimately I still prefer stuff that, to some extent, "makes sense" and is enjoyable, not just "mentally challenging").
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