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Latest Music Reviews
These are the latest 20 reviews that we've completed.
To read a review, click on the song name.
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Genre: Pop/Rock
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Christian Lowensprung gave a score of 5 / 10. Comments were:
sorry about this, but bumping out this song to see if this site is still in any kind of working order.
Scoring: Songcraft: 5, Recording: 5, Freshness: 5, XFactor: 5
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The Captain gave a score of 5.66 / 10. Comments were:
This tune appears to be dedicated to the love of God, speaking as it does of forgiveness. I cetainly won't fault the subject matter. Unfortunately, the progression is derivative enough that I found myself singing, 'Today is gonna be the day / that they're gonna throw it back to you...' Which is, of course, from the perhaps the best known Oasis track 'Wonderwall.' However, the melody is not plagiaristic, nor - unfortunately - is it quite at that level. This is a workman like effort, not sparkling but a reasonably good album track.
Scoring: Songcraft: 6, Recording: 7, Freshness: 4, Vocals: 6.5, Musicianship: 7, XFactor: 4
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MongoKnowsRecords gave a score of 10 / 10. Comments were:
Great begining, deep acoustic guitar miked and recorded just right. A deep rumbling bass enters just before Brian begins to sing - sort of a balad rock but this boy has a great, deep tenor and lets the warble go... This is a great current calssic - hitting all the marks. Great story, perfect structure - every insterment is right where it belongs. This is where the "less is more" really works. Most excellent - Mongo entirely recomends "ALL TO YOU".
WAY BEYOND THE BONE
Scoring: Songcraft: 10, Recording: 10, Freshness: 10, Vocals: 10, Musicianship: 10, XFactor: 10
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Jonothon gave a score of 7.25 / 10. Comments were:
Took a second to find this as the link was broken.
Nice build at the beginning from guitar strum to adding kick. Ooh, I like his voice! I'd hold the ends of my phrases more though, the phrases end so suddenly. Not a fan of the lyrics. Chorus is OK. Catchy enough, but could have a better instrument build to swell beneath it.
Scoring: Songcraft: 7, Recording: 8, Freshness: 6.5, Vocals: 9, Musicianship: 8.5, XFactor: 6.5
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Genre: Pop/Rock
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Christian Lowensprung gave a score of 5 / 10. Comments were:
bumping out a review to see if this site still is operational.
Scoring: Songcraft: 5, Recording: 5, Freshness: 5, XFactor: 5
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MYSTR Treefrog gave a score of 6.75 / 10. Comments were:
I dig the bass line beefing up the vocals. Chopping guitars.." I think your expectations are over-inflated.."
Yep. This is a fact o lyfe. Good Strat sharp and short lead.
Top notch for Pop music.
Scoring: Songcraft: 7.5, Recording: 7.5, Freshness: 6.5, Vocals: 7, Musicianship: 7.5, XFactor: 6
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MongoKnowsRecords gave a score of 0.75 / 10. Comments were:
Simon, what I hear on your MYSPACE sounded pretty good. But your tune "Point of View" was nowhere to be found. No tune - No review
Mongo Out
Scoring: Songcraft: 3, Recording: 0, Freshness: 0, XFactor: 0
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Jonothon gave a score of 6.58 / 10. Comments were:
Point of View is a song off Simon Morel's 2005 release, not the most recent one, and I won't be sampling their new one, but I acknowledge that this is a review of a 5 year old song.
Easy on the de-esser settings. The pace of the music is fun, but the melody of the verse doesn't do much to set it out beyond the context of the musical undercurrent.
Chorus is good. Voice is ok.
Scoring: Songcraft: 7, Recording: 6, Freshness: 6.5, Vocals: 6, Musicianship: 7.5, XFactor: 7
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Genre: Pop/Rock
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MongoKnowsRecords gave a score of 8.75 / 10. Comments were:
Great begining. Snapping Snare Drums blend into the rising synth and guitar. A slighly left of field girl begins her wail. Nicely done, great layering. Very tight - almost a punk dreamscape - Tasting Grace has alot of promise. Good tune - good structure and great production. Mongo can dig it...
Out of Ten Bonez - Mongo give Eight point five
Scoring: Songcraft: 8.5, Recording: 9.5, Freshness: 9, Vocals: 8.5, Musicianship: 9, XFactor: 9
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Goat gave a score of 5.33 / 10. Comments were:
a good looking young band playing on the edges of modern pop/rock .. but that's as far as it goes. overwrought vocals on an electro-pop bed of music and no matter how much it is fresh, it's too "fashion" conscious. The vocals in this case could benefit from the use of auto-tuning, a device that is as hated as it is necessary in many cases - including this one.
Scoring: Songcraft: 7, Recording: 5, Freshness: 7, Vocals: 3, Musicianship: 5, XFactor: 5
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Christian Lowensprung gave a score of 3.5 / 10. Comments were:
Despite nice production values, there is something really wrong with the mix. The vocal is WAY too loud. If I try to enjoy the rest of the music by turning up the volume, I am forced to turn it down again because of the booming female vocal in my speakers. So despite overall high potential, this small thing ruins a lot for this song. A better mix, in my ears, would greatly enhance the performance of this track.
Scoring: Songcraft: 6, Recording: 3, Freshness: 4, XFactor: 1
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Jonothon gave a score of 5.41 / 10. Comments were:
Oy, their website is a disaster! Ok, I found the song. Oh no, I don't think I'm feeling this. The beat start is interesting, but I hate dramatic vocals that aren't actually centered around a melodic/lyrical core. There isn't too much that I like about the vocals. And the lyrics are melodramatic. The song feels empty. Needs a pad or organ or something to thicken it up. Let's see what the chorus is like...yep, still feels empty. There's a musical emptiness in the mid-range that needs filling. Maybe it's the electric guitar, which is really low in this mix. I'm all for panning, but you should still have something in the left channel if you're panning the mid-range guitar to the right, y'all.
The melody just flat out doesn't really fit the music.
Scoring: Songcraft: 6, Recording: 6.5, Freshness: 5, Vocals: 5, Musicianship: 6.5, XFactor: 5
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Genre: Christian Pop/Rock
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Christian Lowensprung gave a score of 7.9 / 10. Comments were:
You don't have to be christian to love this song. The vocal is easy to sing along to, and it is hard not to nod along to the rhythm. The sound quality is good, and it is nicely structured, and ends before it all gets too boring. Well done! Recommended listen.
Scoring: Songcraft: 7, Recording: 6, Freshness: 7, XFactor: 9.5
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Goat gave a score of 6.5 / 10. Comments were:
I have no problem with religious lyrics, although I'm not a big praise and worship fan. Other than sex, thoughts of what's beyond life on earth seem to dominate our collective thinking - hence the biggest debate among mankind - religion. In this case, the core question being asked is "what if." It's a dominant theme in eschatology and salvation debates; what if God is really out there, what if Jesus really did die for our sins? While the lyrics are well written and assess the mind of most who question life beyond here on Earth, I'm not in love with the vocals. In this case there's too much affect - maybe a case where the singer can only communicate by twisting his voice in this manner. I am sure for some it will work just fine (God knows Tom Waits and Dave Matthews have unique sounding voices); it was only a minor annoyance for me. Musically, it's not terribly engaging, saving that for those with an ear to hear. Did it have that certain something that would bring me back in regardless of the lyrics? No... not really. This is music for the pews - not the masses. Other that those minor negatives this is not a bad track if you can deal with overtly Christian themed lyrics - in other words if you're already in the "body."
Scoring: Songcraft: 7.5, Recording: 7, Freshness: 5, Vocals: 6.5, Musicianship: 7.5, XFactor: 5
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Jonothon gave a score of 6.41 / 10. Comments were:
I really really don't like the vocal interpretation taken here. The accent and approach to vowels seems forced in the same way that Green Day's is. It's not personal, it's just really not for me. I like the variety of rhythm though. A clear melody for the chorus doesn't jump out at me. Recording quality seems average to strong. Musicianship is strong.
Scoring: Songcraft: 7, Recording: 7, Freshness: 6.5, Vocals: 4, Musicianship: 8, XFactor: 7.5
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nb gave a score of 6 / 10. Comments were:
Interesting vocal and arrangement that draws the listener in. Quite hip for Christian rockers and fans would definitiey eat this up. Nice slant on the interpretation of the old stories. You could also play on the words peel back the Son... the song meanders awhile toward the end and the closing could come sooner to be more radio friendly...leave them wanting more. good work overall
Scoring: Songcraft: 5.5, Recording: 5, Freshness: 6, Vocals: 7, Musicianship: 6, XFactor: 6.5
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Genre: Rock
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Goat gave a score of 4.33 / 10. Comments were:
I look for a couple of things when I visit a band's music page. Of the things I try to determine, does the band have a fanbase, do they play out and are they visibly communicating ... I do this as I listen to the music. What I hear in this case is what I suspect from the visual clues - a song by a band that is best suited for local original music venues. It's what I expect to hear from a purely "local" band --- not too terribly exciting, not showing the highest skills in craft and showing only a modicum of songwriting talent. The singer sounds like she's sleepwalking through the story. The over drive on the guitar tones are overwrought. All in all, if you saw this band playing out live somewhere and you were a friend or family member you might be saying "why aren't these guys bigger?"
Scoring: Songcraft: 5, Recording: 5, Freshness: 3, Vocals: 5, Musicianship: 5, XFactor: 3
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Christian Lowensprung gave a score of 4.87 / 10. Comments were:
Another one of those rock songs that has a very dull sound. And when the vocals hit me, I know this to be true. The record quality for this type of music is mediocre, and this leaves me a bit uncertain about the rest of the product. Some of the guitar work is really good, so just get this baby to a studio, or some better mics, or something and then this will be much better.
Scoring: Songcraft: 6.5, Recording: 4, Freshness: 2, XFactor: 7
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Florestan gave a score of 5.41 / 10. Comments were:
Though Wighat demonstrates musical proficiency, The Hum of All Things lacks the writing and performance to keep a listener engaged. The standard structure and repetition of mundane riffs keep the song from having a lasting appeal. The recording is well balanced and palatable but seems to lack the enthusiasm found on some of their other tracks.
Scoring: Songcraft: 5, Recording: 7.5, Freshness: 4, Vocals: 6, Musicianship: 7, XFactor: 4
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Jonothon gave a score of 6.75 / 10. Comments were:
Great kind of rock blues feel opens the song. Good mix as well of instruments. The musicianship is strong. I'm not a fan of the lyrics and melody. I know this seems to be one of my common issues, but it's often the big thing that separates a strongly competent song from a plain 'good' one. Vocals are iffy. But I do like the overall ambience of the song. The band has a concept and execute it well; the melodies just need to sit better atop the music.
Scoring: Songcraft: 7, Recording: 8.5, Freshness: 8, Vocals: 5, Musicianship: 9, XFactor: 7
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Genre: Punk
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MongoKnowsRecords gave a score of 9 / 10. Comments were:
Great Balls of Fire. "Her Damn Tombstone".'Tis punk Banjo and then some. Blue Grassy Head Bashin'. Well, after everyone or anything gets thrown agqainst the great wall of music just about anything will stick. Who would have thought that the "Goat" would have children? Actually these children are awfully damn good at it. Totally tight, great chops - the vocals and story get ya where ya want to go - being that this is where you want to go. Their other stuff on U-Tube is right on the money as well. Next time you hear that Colorado is on Fire - the Bloody Turncoats have brought Minnesota to the Rockys. Mongo can really dig it. Great Job - totally original.
Beyond the Bonez - Mongo Out
Scoring: Songcraft: 9, Recording: 9, Freshness: 9, Vocals: 9, Musicianship: 9, XFactor: 9
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Nibbish gave a score of 6.66 / 10. Comments were:
Hailing from my home state of Minnesota, The Bloody Turncoats play punk, and they play it fast, rude and loud. These are, of course, all the things you actually want from punk-like music. I detect slight traces of ska influence, but overall the mood is set to straight punk. The playing is all over the place, the singer sounds like he's going to pass out. It's not technical at all - I wouldn't want it any other way.
Scoring: Songcraft: 6.5, Recording: 5, Freshness: 7, Vocals: 6.5, Musicianship: 5.5, XFactor: 8
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Christian Lowensprung gave a score of 3.2 / 10. Comments were:
As much respect I have for the genre as I do for punk, I didn't like this song one bit. The record quality is abysmal, the vocalist sounds like he is trying too hard, and really can't sing emotionally at fast speed. In fact, it really does sound like these guys really were in a hurry to get this song finished. I'm not impressed.
Scoring: Songcraft: 6.5, Recording: 3, Freshness: 4.5, Vocals: 2, XFactor: 0
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Jonothon gave a score of 8.5 / 10. Comments were:
Fun opening. Bluegrass ish. And the punk part of it doesn't ruin it, it complements it. That's cool. I have nothing really to say on the vocals, they fit the song. The lyrics are cute. And it does an interesting stringbass break midway through. Ok, this is a weird little song, but I like it.
Scoring: Songcraft: 8.5, Recording: 7.5, Freshness: 9.5, Vocals: 8, Musicianship: 9, XFactor: 9
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Genre: Indie Rock
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Richard gave a score of 7.66 / 10. Comments were:
I was surprised by how British these guys sound, hailing from N.Y. They sound like a cross between Brit bands The Cure and Muse. They have a very infectious sound.
Scoring: Songcraft: 8, Recording: 7.5, Freshness: 7, Vocals: 8, Musicianship: 7.5, XFactor: 8
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Goat gave a score of 5.5 / 10. Comments were:
This grabs my interest within the first handful of beats ... very fresh. Question: would I listen thru if I heard this on my favorite local community/public station or tune it out? After a minute or two, I'd be gone.. despite it being so interesting. Everything is measured against everything that surrounds it on the radio. This recording suffers that fate, as does the oft-kilter performance of the singer and the guitarist. Kitsch for kitsch is camp --- and there's lots of that going on here. Great ideas going on here though I gotta say.
Scoring: Songcraft: 8, Recording: 3, Freshness: 8, Vocals: 4, Musicianship: 5, XFactor: 5
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Christian Lowensprung gave a score of 4.87 / 10. Comments were:
Original material from The Depths, with the vocalist, and the piano being the main features. The song did make an impact, but I am not sure what to make of it. I watched the live youtube video as well, and watching that makes me understand the song a bit more. But not a lot. I'm afraid I can't put my semi-professional finger on it, but there is something off about this song. It is like something you put into your mouth with the intention of eating this little something. But you spit it out, because all the tastes become too overwhelming to bear. Yup, I think I'll leave the piece of meat on the plate like that.
Scoring: Songcraft: 5, Recording: 4.5, Freshness: 10, XFactor: 0
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Jonothon gave a score of 8.33 / 10. Comments were:
Woah bombastic dissonant opening! oooh I really like how it segues into the rhythmic piano. And I also really like how the drums start. The vocals are a bit overspooky, though that's probably the effect they're going for. And I enjoy the melody and how it does a syncopated-type-thing over the very rhythmic quarter note type pattern.
And how's the chorus? ...Ok, there isn't so much a chorus as a hook, but it works! The production shifts, swells, and the extra vocal layers bring it out. They have a concept and it's executed very well. His voice isn't my total favourite, but it fits the music.
Scoring: Songcraft: 9, Recording: 7, Freshness: 9, Vocals: 7.5, Musicianship: 9, XFactor: 9.5
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Genre: Rock
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MongoKnowsRecords gave a score of 9.41 / 10. Comments were:
Robin Moore has a deep smokey sound in his fine song "What You Wanted". Keys, Guitars, Bass, Drums - all as tight as it gets. Nice laydown of all the pieces. This is where Less is More happens the right way. It reminds you of something you've heard - yet has a totally original vibe going on. Mongo Digging It All
Beyond the Bonez - Mongo Out
Scoring: Songcraft: 9, Recording: 9, Freshness: 10, Vocals: 9.5, Musicianship: 10, XFactor: 10
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Martinho gave a score of 5.16 / 10. Comments were:
Great song , good guitar play , it rocks , and the vocals sounds anyway pro . The beginning and change in the song is a bit to hard , use a bit more reverb or delay in the vocals at e.g the end of a line .
This song has potential to break trough , after remixing in a pro-studio it will be shure .
And for now , Robin hit the charts and good luck .
Scoring: Songcraft: 5, Recording: 5, Freshness: 5, Vocals: 5.5, Musicianship: 5, XFactor: 5
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Jonothon gave a score of 7.91 / 10. Comments were:
Only a clip? Ok then. I like the mix and the production on this. He's got a Josh Rouse type of vocal feel. Melody is decent. Lyrics are solid. Vocals sometimes fade and are incomprehensible, but I get it, it's a thing. He does a great build for the chorus. Not the catchiest song, but I like it. Good stuff, dude.
Scoring: Songcraft: 8, Recording: 8, Freshness: 8, Vocals: 7.5, Musicianship: 8.5, XFactor: 8.5
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Christian Lowensprung gave a score of 5.25 / 10. Comments were:
I had to redirect the link to an older page(?) on myspace to a clip of the song. I can't say a lot about it, since it was only a minute long. But from what I heard, What You Wanted sounds like a good pop/rock song with good production values. Eh, I don't know if that was what you were aiming for Robin, but that was all I could manage. Sorry mate.
Scoring: Songcraft: 6.5, Recording: 6.5, Freshness: 8, Musicianship: 7, XFactor: 0
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Genre: Americana
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Goat gave a score of 7.83 / 10. Comments were:
This is the sound of a band that plays a lot of shows and has for a long long time. It's pure acoustic country folk. It is Americana. There is so much space here you can drive a Kenworth through it and still hear each instrument distinctly - the recording sounds like it was crafted with considerable care for the natural tone of the instruments. Lead singer Chelsea Goodman is a kid - literally not much older than 21 if that - and she sounds like it. She presents this song as perhaps a young woman in love for the first time sees matters of love and intimacy. This is a young lady with a really bright future in this style of music -- her voice rings true. Julie Miller she isn't, and this is not a Grammy level (yes, they give Grammy Awards in Folk and Americana) record --- but it is notable --- and sincere. You really can't ask for more than that.
Scoring: Songcraft: 9, Recording: 8, Freshness: 6, Vocals: 8, Musicianship: 9, XFactor: 7
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In True Review gave a score of 7.33 / 10. Comments were:
There are alot of things I liked about this presentation. I liked the soft yet sharp voice and the music was really good. The lyrics were easy to understand and told the story well enough. Here are my criticisms the song seemed to drag a little and songs over 4:30 minutes really have to get there in a hurry and this one does not. I do not see a radio market for this song but it would make an outstanding filler song on a country/americana album, if it were a 45 to 60 seconds shorter. Overall this song presented the singer and song writer pretty well.
Scoring: Songcraft: 8, Recording: 8, Freshness: 7, Vocals: 7.5, Musicianship: 8.5, XFactor: 6
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Christian Lowensprung gave a score of 8 / 10. Comments were:
Nice, gentle song with female vocals. It is a declaration to man. To be gentle with her heart. Something we can all appreciate. When it sounds as good as this though, I sincerely hope that man treats this woman good. Recommended listen.
Scoring: Songcraft: 7.5, Recording: 6.5, Freshness: 8, XFactor: 10
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Andrew Chapman gave a score of 5.2 / 10. Comments were:
Hmmn, "Darlin Boy" is sweet and no doubt heart felt but I just can't seem to listen to it without feeling somewhat bored and a little irritated (especially in the chorus). By why I hear you ask? Maybe it's the sleepy pace of the song (I'm reminded of "Blue Shadows" from The Three Amigos) or the all too sweet melody. The production is fine and the vocals are on pitch. Sorry Smokey Joe - I want to like it, I just can't.
Scoring: Songcraft: 5, Recording: 6, Freshness: 5, Vocals: 6, XFactor: 4
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Genre: Roots Rock
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Goat gave a score of 6.41 / 10. Comments were:
This is okay. Fans of the Gourds, Drive-by Truckers, and other non-mainstream alternative country-rock will probably enjoy it for a listen or two. As I think about how it would fit into one of my radio shows, I'd prob'ly take a pass, if for no other reason than there are 1000 of these types of tracks available every month, and this wouldn't rank among the top for the few slots available. Good, solid southern rock based stuff though ... gotta throw back a jack and a brew on that one.
Scoring: Songcraft: 6, Recording: 6, Freshness: 6, Vocals: 6.5, Musicianship: 7, XFactor: 7
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In True Review gave a score of 6.75 / 10. Comments were:
The song was very upbeat and driven. While the vocal maintained a country twang the song put me more in the mind of southern rock. I do not see a place for this song on the radio today but could edge in as a non-released song on an album to support songs that have a little more to offer in the lyrics department. Most of the lyrics to this song were lost in the hard driven music. I do believe that the musicians have the ability but based on this one song I don't know if they have a direction or an identity. I would need to hear another song or two to really form an opinion of the artist.
Scoring: Songcraft: 7.5, Recording: 8, Freshness: 7, Vocals: 6, Musicianship: 7.5, XFactor: 7
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Christian Lowensprung gave a score of 7 / 10. Comments were:
Not my cup of tea. But the song is well produced, with all the traits and prawns this genre has to offer. So I guess anybody liking this sort of music, will dig this track as well.
Scoring: Songcraft: 7.5, Recording: 6.5, Freshness: 6, XFactor: 8
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Andrew Chapman gave a score of 6.5 / 10. Comments were:
"How Bout That" is an upbeat and fun little track that's a refreshing break away from the sugar coated and somewhat sterile music that finds its way onto commercial radio. Whilst it has country qualities about it, there's also a healthy dose of rock to give it edge. The recording could have been a little more polished (the production sounds a little flat). I love the energy and the spirit of this song - nice job!
Scoring: Songcraft: 6.5, Recording: 6, Freshness: 7, Vocals: 6.5, Musicianship: 7, XFactor: 6.5
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Genre: Country
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Christian Lowensprung gave a score of 5.37 / 10. Comments were:
- - - 3 stars >>>> ok song, give it a listen - - -
Scoring: Songcraft: 5.5, Recording: 4.5, Freshness: 5, XFactor: 6.5
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Goat gave a score of 6 / 10. Comments were:
Let's keep this one simple. Mick is a songwriter with marginally adequate performance skills; not enough for the pro-country scene, but adequate enough that he gets the core of the songwriting ideas in place. The song is fine. It's a well crafted country-rock-pop style. Vocally, Mick reminds me a bit of JJ Cale -- not a bad comparison. The song even has some similarities to what Cale and Clapton did on Road to Esconidido, or what Dire Straits might have done in their more country inflected songs like The Bug .. in fact both songs have a very similar feel to them.
Scoring: Songcraft: 8, Recording: 5, Freshness: 5, Vocals: 5, Musicianship: 6, XFactor: 6
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In True Review gave a score of 6.16 / 10. Comments were:
Wow Willie Nelson meets Ben Stien. Good song, good beat, good vocal ability. It is monotone though and that detracts from the song.
Scoring: Songcraft: 7, Recording: 6, Freshness: 5.5, Vocals: 5, Musicianship: 7.5, XFactor: 6.5
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nb gave a score of 5.33 / 10. Comments were:
Feel good country groove, lyrically a throwback to a 70s style country hook and with a more contemporary production this could be a real toe tapper.This could work well for film background radio songs and such. nice tune not a knockout more unassuming and pleasing.
Scoring: Songcraft: 5, Recording: 5.5, Freshness: 5, Vocals: 6.5, Musicianship: 5.5, XFactor: 5
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Genre: Country
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Christian Lowensprung gave a score of 6.62 / 10. Comments were:
- - - 3 stars >>>> ok song, give it a listen - - -
Scoring: Songcraft: 7.5, Recording: 5, Freshness: 6.5, XFactor: 7.5
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Goat gave a score of 7.33 / 10. Comments were:
I want a different singer, with a slightly huskier tonality who can show a bit more melancholy dreaminess. The players are exceptional, leaving enough space for a producer to create the rest of the movie w/out it feeling cluttered. I love this song. I don't love this record.
Scoring: Songcraft: 9, Recording: 7, Freshness: 7, Vocals: 5, Musicianship: 8, XFactor: 7
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In True Review gave a score of 6.25 / 10. Comments were:
The song is good but needs a little work. One thing it needs is a hook. Also a better recording would improve the songs appeal a good recording studio could warm your voice up and iron out the rawness of the song. Otherwise this song has a great deal of marketability.
Scoring: Songcraft: 6, Recording: 6, Freshness: 7, Vocals: 6.5, Musicianship: 7, XFactor: 5
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nb gave a score of 5.5 / 10. Comments were:
Lovely vocals and solid production, songwriting is about average, the lyrics on the cliched side of life, cry me a river title is also a well known standard and dangerous to make that association as it seems a rip off lyric of the original. a good ole country tune, nothing outstanding but a pleasant enough journey.
Scoring: Songcraft: 5, Recording: 6.5, Freshness: 5, Vocals: 6.5, Musicianship: 6, XFactor: 5
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Genre: Indie Rock
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Eclectic Ear gave a score of 6 / 10. Comments were:
“Flash of Neon” is a song that follows the numbers – not really adding much to the basic pop song formula. The vocals, which are competent, often seem drowned out by the instruments (making lyrics indistinct). Musically, the overall sound is fairly bland and lacking variety.
Scoring: Songcraft: 6, Recording: 7, Freshness: 5.5, Vocals: 6, Musicianship: 6, XFactor: 5
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21Cmalaise gave a score of 9.5 / 10. Comments were:
Great atmospheric song with well thought out lyrics - reminds me a little of Radiohead at times. Nothing too complex in the arrangement though - but works nicely. It is a little difficult to understand the singer sometimes but from what I can make out the lyrics are really good. Professional sounding recording and they can obviously play. Cool song to turn the lights down to and just let it wash over you - nice one guys!
Scoring: Songcraft: 10, Recording: 10, Freshness: 9, Vocals: 9, Musicianship: 10, XFactor: 9
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Christian Lowensprung gave a score of 4.12 / 10. Comments were:
flash of neon has all that can be mentioned production wise. The sound quality is proper, and the structure of the song makes sense.
But as this is a rock song of sorts, it comes off as quite boring. I am sure it will appeal to the ladies, but the lyrics, the vocal, and the music, does nothing to entice me in the slightest. I guess this is a matter of taste then. But even the vocalist sounds like he wants to be somewhere else. Rock, even on the softer notes is supposed to be energetic. As I am almost falling asleep on my chair here, I'll leave it to somebody else to give these guys a pat on the back.
Scoring: Songcraft: 6, Recording: 5, Freshness: 5.5, XFactor: 0
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Nibbish gave a score of 7.16 / 10. Comments were:
This is the type of sensitive emotive pop-rock with just the slightest hint of indie flavor that is so popular among the teen soap opera set right now. Blame 'The OC', I guess, but the thing is, this band is actually pretty decent at what it does. 'Flash of Neon' doesn't deviate too much from the formula - earnest singer, introspective verses, soaring chorus - but sometimes the formula does a band right. Mile High Illinois gets a lot of stuff right, and sounds good in the process. My wife just walked in and noted that she heard this song the other night on 'One Tree Hill' - this is, of course, impossible, but it serves to illustrate my point further. This is comparable with the better, yet indistinct half of it's genre. Whether or not that's a good thing is totally up to you.
Scoring: Songcraft: 7.5, Recording: 7.5, Freshness: 7, Vocals: 7.5, Musicianship: 7.5, XFactor: 7
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Genre: Country
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MongoKnowsRecords gave a score of 9.41 / 10. Comments were:
This Brother has got his "Chops" together. Him and his boyz just start the train and there's a no stoppin' it. And Mongo been married to the same Chick he's singin about. Now there's two of us that know. There's a bunch of dudes in Nashville waitin' to find this Brother. Like it or Not - this is the stuff that fills Boot-Skoot Stadium. There other fair on My Space is worth the listen as well.
Mongo can dig it.
Beyond the Bonez - Mongo Out
Scoring: Songcraft: 9.5, Recording: 10, Freshness: 9.5, Vocals: 9, Musicianship: 10, XFactor: 10
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Goat gave a score of 6.66 / 10. Comments were:
Okay, so the first question. Who's the singer? The songwriter? If so, get rid of the whole song-writer demo deal. You (at least the singer) has some competent skill - certainly no worse than I've heard from some touring Americana-country-pop singers. The arrangement here needs tweaking .. on one hand it fits in with what guys like Pat Green or Charlie Robison have done ... kind of a neo-country groove in a very Austin kind of way. The Beach Boys nod is nice - very much a So Cal thing. The song writing is fine and I could hear the Zac Brown band doing this song. Not everything here works of course, but from a purely songwriting pov, this song has a nice fun in the sun at the beach kind of vibe, and that seems to be working right now in some circles. Good luck - this one might just be worth shopping.
Scoring: Songcraft: 8, Recording: 5, Freshness: 6, Vocals: 6, Musicianship: 6, XFactor: 7
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In True Review gave a score of 6.58 / 10. Comments were:
This song seems to be the same as many songs we've heard in the past. It's like a 70's country or rock song that just keeps coming back like a villian in a horror movie. That being said the song is not bad the talant is good this song is just old and boring. I wish I had another song by you to judge I don't think this one really shows your talent, but I'm not sure.
Scoring: Songcraft: 7.5, Recording: 8, Freshness: 5, Vocals: 6.5, Musicianship: 7, XFactor: 6
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Christian Lowensprung gave a score of 7.12 / 10. Comments were:
Traditional country on the happy side. The structure of the song is really simple. It actually sounds like something you'd hear from an eurovision contest. But the song is catchy, and easy to get into. By the end of the song I was singing along actually, with a smile on my face. That can't be half bad. I'd have to point out that the sound quality could be better, but maybe the webpage is at fault here. I don't know. Good song, check it out.
Scoring: Songcraft: 5.5, Recording: 6.5, Freshness: 7.5, XFactor: 9
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Genre: Punk-Pop
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Christian Lowensprung gave a score of 6.5 / 10. Comments were:
- - - 3 stars >>>> ok song, give it a listen - - -
Scoring: Songcraft: 6.5, Recording: 7, Freshness: 6, XFactor: 6.5
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MxBx! gave a score of 4.16 / 10. Comments were:
Before i say anything i must say that the production on this song is top quality. Sounds nice through the Hi fi, secondly the musicianship on this track was shining through as well. of course production on a track makes it sound pretty, but a lot of the work on a recording relies on the artists which for this track it's executed and pays off pretty nicely.
Only problem with this song is that it's just generic. Nothing stands out, it just sounds like a Blink 182 rehash. It has the speed, but lacks anything fresh and exciting to me and the chorus was just dire. One thing that really let this track down was the vocals, on the chorus it just sounded like the vocalist wasn't bothering at all.
All is not lost though, the song gives out a small bit of lyrical value which helped me through the whole track.
Scoring: Songcraft: 4, Recording: 9, Freshness: 1, Vocals: 4, Musicianship: 7, XFactor: 2
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Nibbish gave a score of 4.75 / 10. Comments were:
This is sadly generic pop-punk music. The vocalist is underwhelming, and the guitars don't really reach out and grab me. If you were in high school, and just looking for vaguely angry and heartbroken pop punk that no one had heard of, this might be your cup of tea. There's just nothing to separate it from the pack.
Scoring: Songcraft: 4.5, Recording: 5.5, Freshness: 4.5, Vocals: 5.5, Musicianship: 5, XFactor: 3.5
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Andrew Chapman gave a score of 6.3 / 10. Comments were:
Energetic and fast paced, "Sky Grey" is a very respectable listen that's sure to please fans of modern punk in the vein of Green Day and Third Eye Blind. The musicianship is excellent and the vocals are also on the money. I only wish the mp3 encoding was better. My main criticism here is that there's not a great deal of originality - I feel like I've heard this before. If Death to Juliet can alter the formula just a little bit to truly have a unique edge then they'll be onto something.
Scoring: Songcraft: 7, Recording: 5, Freshness: 6, Vocals: 7, Musicianship: 7.5, XFactor: 6.5
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Genre: R&B
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nb gave a score of 4.91 / 10. Comments were:
This went to a 1 minute cdbaby sample. Seems more dance pop than r and b to me. Had a good feel and pleasant enough to listen to but hard to critique without the whole song.
Scoring: Songcraft: 5, Recording: 5, Freshness: 4, Vocals: 6.5, Musicianship: 5.5, XFactor: 4.5
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angle angler gave a score of 4.66 / 10. Comments were:
From the start it pricked my ears but once the vocal came in it lost my attention until the chorus vocal....which was more interesting. The verse vocal lacks prominence and identity. Like the song overall though.
Scoring: Songcraft: 5.5, Recording: 5, Freshness: 5.5, Vocals: 2, Musicianship: 5, XFactor: 5
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Sona gave a score of 3 / 10. Comments were:
Suspect from the beginning, the title was the first flag of a dated concept. I Feel You in the world of pop culture is a term not used much anymore by the "in crowd" so that was the first sign that this artist is older and a bit out of touch with the current lingo. The lyrics were boring, and simple and though I usually love lyrics that are simple, they must tell a story and compel me to keep listening and this just did not. The track was thinly orchestrated and just looped with not enough changes to take me on a musical so it just went no where.
The vocals were mediocre at best and the singer did not ring true R&B at all, but more pop and the arrangement was elementary with dated synth sounds and very thin keyboard. An R&B track would be much bigger with a lot more going on in the beat, at least by todays standards. With no breakdown, the structure and arrangement of the song was amateurish. This artist sounds like he is at the beginning of his song writing journey so I guess it's back to the lab for Lovari.
Scoring: Songcraft: 3, Recording: 6, Freshness: 2, Vocals: 4, Musicianship: 4, XFactor: 0
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Christian Lowensprung gave a score of 7.87 / 10. Comments were:
This is a weird one. The quirky choices in sound effects and instruments actually work, but it takes some time to get used to it all. The vocals, both male, and female are top notch though, and makes it easier to get into the track. The song borrows several traits from reggae, and I can also imagine this being popular amongst DJs since it has a nice beat and groove to it. Check it out why don't you. I sure liked it, but as mentioned, I did have to listen to it a couple of times to approve. Recommended listen.
Scoring: Songcraft: 7, Recording: 8, Freshness: 8.5, XFactor: 8
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Genre: Rock
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Christian Lowensprung gave a score of 6.5 / 10. Comments were:
- - - 3 stars >>>> ok song, give it a listen - - -
Scoring: Songcraft: 6, Recording: 6.5, Freshness: 6, XFactor: 7.5
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ReW gave a score of 5.33 / 10. Comments were:
The first interesting thing about this song is the vocals sound folk once they begin but the music is deceiving..it sounds more rock Once the singing begins it reminds me of the Mamas & Papas or the Turtles..throw back for sure. It has a sweet melodic tempo & feel to it. I feel sincerity in it's passion. I like when it builds w/ the chorus & the BiG ending. I do believe beauty is in the eye of the beholder & I am very sure i feel it that this song has a beautiful beholder.
Scoring: Songcraft: 7, Recording: 6.5, Freshness: 3, Vocals: 4, Musicianship: 6, XFactor: 7.5
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Goat gave a score of 3.16 / 10. Comments were:
A less than average sounding recording mars this track from the beginning. The electric guitar tones and poor vocal efx are enough to let me know this is an amateur quality demo at best. The pitchy vocals let me know that regardless of how many shows these guys go, and how many local fans they may have, they've got a long way to go before they're the next Simon & Garfunkel, who were brilliant coming out of college in the sixties. Back to the woodshed boys.
Scoring: Songcraft: 5, Recording: 2, Freshness: 2, Vocals: 3, Musicianship: 5, XFactor: 2
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angle angler gave a score of 5.16 / 10. Comments were:
It's a long song with not many changes...so more dynamics would have aided the length. Felt the vocals could have come in sooner at the beginning as there isn't much going on musically. A doubled up percussion change would have sounded nice towards the end to rocket this song into the sky. Over all I like the song and melodies but personnaly rhythm change and dynamics would change it into a great song.
Scoring: Songcraft: 6, Recording: 4, Freshness: 5, Vocals: 6, Musicianship: 4, XFactor: 7
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Genre: Americana
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Goat gave a score of 6.33 / 10. Comments were:
Troll-man -- I like this song. There are some production elements that don't quite make it strong enough to be played on 99% of broadcast radio (imo of course), but the song, the performance, the singing -- all of it is killer stuff. The melody is one that gets stuck easily -- a hook as they (who?) like to say. I'd love to hear this track re-recorded, or in the least, remixed and remastered to get it to commercial-grade-A consumer friendly standards.
Scoring: Songcraft: 7, Recording: 3, Freshness: 7, Vocals: 7, Musicianship: 6.5, XFactor: 7
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Nibbish gave a score of 7.25 / 10. Comments were:
With a name like Mr. Troll, I half expected this to be a joke. Instead, I've found an enjoyable slice of Americana music. Mr. Troll's voice is instantly disarming, even if it's probably a little rough around the edges. The backing singers are spot on, and the plodding beat and rhythm guitar fits the song perfectly. Make no mistake, this just feels like a song I'd normally dislike. I even like the cheesy little distorted guitar interlude, something I'd normally hate. All of this is proof that this song has a sort of bewitching power. Check this out, you'll probably find yourself a fan even if this sort of thing really isn't normally your scene.
Scoring: Songcraft: 6.5, Recording: 6.5, Freshness: 7, Vocals: 8, Musicianship: 7.5, XFactor: 8
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nb gave a score of 5.58 / 10. Comments were:
A throwback to dreamy 60's folkpop, even had elements of the Beatles for me, the poetic chorus and plodding groove where the strengths of the song for me as was the lovely and pleasant vocals.
The live recording was muddy and loose but managed to capture the essence of Mr. Troll's performance.
Scoring: Songcraft: 6, Recording: 5, Freshness: 5, Vocals: 6.5, Musicianship: 6, XFactor: 5
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Christian Lowensprung gave a score of 4.12 / 10. Comments were:
I don't know, but from the very start there is something off about this track. It isn't completely wrong, but not completely right either. The instruments don't harmonize as well as they should, and when the Mr. Troll starts to sing it gets even weirder. But I guess that is the nature of the genre. There is probably a matter of personal taste here as well, so I'll leave it there I think.
Scoring: Songcraft: 6, Recording: 4, Freshness: 3, XFactor: 3.5
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Genre: Indie Rock
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Goat gave a score of 6.41 / 10. Comments were:
Okay Joe Buck Jr ... get the guitar intonated properly. Then go into a good studio and record a good sounding record. You've got a killer voice! It fits your style of music perfectly. The song is clean. It's not mad hook. But that guitar is driving me out of my ever lovin' tin can kickin' goat's mind. You could actually have some kind of "hit" on your hands here.
Scoring: Songcraft: 8, Recording: 2.5, Freshness: 5, Vocals: 8, Musicianship: 5, XFactor: 8
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Eclectic Ear gave a score of 6.91 / 10. Comments were:
“Beautiful People” is indie rock with a slightly alt-country or rock-a-billy sound. I like how the song eventually builds and adds more pronounced horns – coming to a nice crescendo. However, this is after the song has gotten a little repetitive (which suggests that the track could benefit from some remixing). Lyrics and vocals are fairly catchy – but could use some variation as well.
Overall, a song I suspect would grow on me with more listens. Seems promising if a little conventional.
Scoring: Songcraft: 7, Recording: 7.5, Freshness: 6.5, Vocals: 7, Musicianship: 7, XFactor: 6.5
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Christian Lowensprung gave a score of 5.62 / 10. Comments were:
A very basic rock song with not much spectacular stuff going on. The vocal is basic, and the band is very ordinary as well. The sound quality is sub-standard, and the structure and how the whole thing performs on a general level is bland and boring. The lyrics is also nothing to write home about. I find it hard to recommend this outing to anybody actually, despite that it is ok'ish production wise. Hopefully it's just me.
Scoring: Songcraft: 4.5, Recording: 8, Freshness: 3.5, XFactor: 6.5
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Andrew Chapman gave a score of 6 / 10. Comments were:
Joe Buck Jr.'s “Beautiful People” is classic rock all the way. Featuring a driving bass line, riff based distorted guitars and some solid vocal work, this is a quite the toe tapper. Whilst I can imagine this being a good number to dance to, it's not quite there in terms of charisma. The track seems to be lacking a strong hook and the melody isn't terribly memorable. That being said, I quite like the passage that occurs at the 40 second mark – the melody in this section is stronger reminding me a little of the Beatles.
Scoring: Songcraft: 6.5, Recording: 6, Freshness: 6, Vocals: 6.5, Musicianship: 7, XFactor: 5
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Genre: Psychedelic
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Goat gave a score of 6.33 / 10. Comments were:
Hi marks in the interest categories of X-factor and freshness and better than average songwriting. That outweighs the low marked recording quality for me ... and the avg scores for everything else, placing this squarely in an early Bright Eyes kinda space for me. I'd like to hear what this artist comes up with over the years. Bet it's just as interesting and compelling.
Scoring: Songcraft: 7, Recording: 3, Freshness: 9, Vocals: 5, Musicianship: 5, XFactor: 9
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Christian Lowensprung gave a score of 7.87 / 10. Comments were:
Music this special demands my total attention. Olive Juice has here created a masterpiece, and should be hailed for their ability to create something new and refreshing. That simple fact that this is something entirely new which I don't hear often, is enough to make me forgive its other shortcomings which I won't care to mention. Great stuff Olive Juice!! Keep up the great work. Recommended listen.
Scoring: Songcraft: 8, Recording: 7, Freshness: 7.5, Musicianship: 10, XFactor: 9
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Nibbish gave a score of 3.83 / 10. Comments were:
The first thing you notice about "Coriolis Effect" is the drums. They fill up your senses, drowning out nearly everything else. The instrumentation leaves me ill at ease, and the vocals don't really do anything to abate that feeling. It all feels kind of like a nightmare, but that's not necessarily a good thing. It's just all too much, especially with those constant drums so high in the mix. The vocals themselves, once you can actually hear them, are sort of annoying. There's nothing to really recommend about this song.
Scoring: Songcraft: 4, Recording: 3.5, Freshness: 5, Vocals: 3.5, Musicianship: 5, XFactor: 3.5
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Andrew Chapman gave a score of 2.8 / 10. Comments were:
“Coriolis Effect” is a noisy and somewhat directionless song where pretty much everything is fed through a distortion effect. The thumping, almost tribal beat drives the song forward but to nowhere in particular. Maybe “psychedelic” is a genre that I'm struggling to come to grips with, although I do like some psychedelic artists so hopefully that's not the case, but I just can't seem to find anything particularly charismatic or innovative about this.
Scoring: Songcraft: 2, Recording: 3, Freshness: 2.5, Vocals: 4, XFactor: 2.5
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