Buoy's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Jazzy]

oh man. I think you should get a DAW like Cubase Elements or Logic whatever, play with it and see just how much better your songwriting will become when you can see the different tracks laid out in a sequencer. You have tasteful chords and good tone and a nice playing style, and if you could get it all down and structure the ideas a bit I think you've got potential to become really awesome.

ANGELGRIS responds:

You are right man,in fact I`m working whit a new recording program and I`m planning to re-record most of my songs again,with a decent audio and more arrangements.I`m glad you liked.

[Child of the Trough NGADM]

So I gave your track a straight ten this time around too. The track isn't actually as perfect as that implies (I think we can agree that it is inferior to your round 1 piece in most ways) but the problem is that if I were to score your track first and use it as the standard for the other scores, the other scores would seem unreasonably low :c So this is a reasonable solution, I think. Since I downloaded and listened to the version that was up on the deadline, I won't comment on the vocals and the new guitar parts.

In its current shape, this is an excellent guitar-centric instrumental with an extraordinary amount of fresh ideas that are executed brilliantly. There is usually one instrument or musical idea that's being brought to the spotlight as the rest of the instrumentation provides rhythmic and harmonic support, and this theme going on throughout the song is what I think is gluing this song together even when no one part gets repeated ever. A notable exception is the very jazz fusion part starting at 2:36 where the instruments collaborate and play together in a way that's very clever. Almost every part has something unique and amazing that I could point out but I don't want this review to get too long.

You've hit a good balance with the production and mixing. There is good variation in intensity yet I never really have to reach for my volume control. It's nice and loud yet without any noticeable compromise in sound quality. There aren't that many individual instruments, so the mix is kept clean and glass clear, but the instruments fill the stereo and frequency spectra beautifully, and they all have intriguing detail and overall sound gorgeous.

I'm thoroughly impressed by the quantity and quality of the ideas you produce in two weeks. You have a combination of massive instrumental skill, creative ingenuity and a musical maturity which, combined with enough effort to produce a relatively fleshed out song that extends past 7 minutes, will not go wrong. For you to do well in the future rounds it's mostly a matter of getting full tracks together in time for the deadline, and of course to keep impressing us with your skill and talent.

10.0/10

Kor-Rune responds:

WOW, thanks for the ten Buoy! I really don't think this track deserves it though!

I'm not happy with this track much at all, I'm surprised about the feedback! I thought it was very scatter-brained and the non-repeating themes would be my downfall. I never thought of the inconsistency as a recurring theme itself!

I tried to compensate for less repeated themes with lyrics, but it doesn't work the same way. :c I wanted the deadline instrumental track judged anyway because rushed vocal takes SUUUUCK. I need to not write seven minute songs in two weeks, it just works against me.

dude I'm doing minimal post-EQ, a lot of my instruments are mixed going in, I just fuck with the levels and cut off some bass on things. My drum machine does most of the work. I figure if you have a string section and good sounding drums, everything else hardly matters LOL. Addictive Drums is a -killer- drum machine.

Anyway, thank you for your review AND your generous score for my failure! <:

[The Mare and The Tortoise]

(I couldn't figure out how to start this review so just hold on while I talk about the stuff in random order)
The vocals are of course what sets this one somewhat apart from most of the other submissions, and the track is heavily focused around them. The vocal harmonies really do the trick in this song. They sound pretty unprocessed and I really appreciate that, gives the whole piece a charm and a sense of honesty. You've mixed them into the track excellently too, they're perfectly clear but don't drown out anything else either. The lyrics are pretty okay, kinda cutesy, but they didn't teach me anything about life so to speak. I don't know to which extent the "I've fallen and I can't get up" is a reference to the 1987 commercial, but I kinda chuckle inside every time because it sounds so ridiculous. Using your voice and hands for percussion is a nice touch too and fits this track like a glove... or a sock... or a condom or whatever the fuck you wear to keep your hands warm

I don't know if it's a guitar riff because it sounds more like you strummed that on the upper strings of a bass guitar, but whatever the instrument is that fills the role of the rhythm guitar, sounds like you might want to tune or intonate it, or swap it with something, err, better. What I said about the tune having its charm still applies but let's not too excited here. I really loved the bassline of this one, it has some subtle variations that make it feel like there's at least some progress (even though there really isn't) and the leading tone at 1:55 somehow became my favourite part of the song.

I actually really liked this track despite the obvious repetition issues that I'm sure have been mentioned 10-20 times in other reviews by now. The mixing is so modest and lovely and the vocals and everything are so lush that I could listen to it for ages without getting annoyed. Still, the main point where the song is lacking is amount of content so get to work on that I guess.

7 points for sounds and instrumentation.
6 points for composition and melody/harmony.
8 points for theme/originality/other things that might impress.

Overall impression: 7.0

midimachine responds:

cheeeeers for the review! yeah i can't play guitar so i just play the top strings of the bass and pretend i'm cool!

[What's Ahead (NGADM 1)]

First off, neat beginning. Dramatic, with effective pauses. That church bell really makes it clear to the listener what this track is all about. Makes the track easily recognizable too.

The composition is the nicest aspect of this song IMO - the chord progression in the main part of the song is beautiful, the melodies really work well, and you have leading tones and variations where that's appropriate. The dissonance at 0:28 is kinda horrible, but it resolves beautifully. Still, I'm convinced there would be a nicer chord that could achieve the same effect but it does fit into the dramatic, somewhat precarious mood that I'm sure you were going for.

I quite enjoyed the organ, and the flutes and strings that emulate it later on give it a really great symphonic feeling. They're a bit low though - if you had really emphasized the flutes and strings during the 1:05 part you could really have showed off that symphonic aspect of your composition. Sadly, like most of the cool stuff in this songs, they get buried beneath a cloud of heavily reverbed strings and deep percussion. The percussion actually adds little more to the song than mud. That's probably the main problem of this song - it's very muddy. Some panning and EQ cutting would be very effective in order to let each instrument shine through, and careful mixing and dynamics work would make it more powerful.

8 points for sounds and instrumentation.
8 points for composition and melody/harmony.
8 points for theme/originality/other things that might impress.

Overall impression: 8.0

(it should probably be a bit lower now that I think of it - I didn't dwell too much on your score since you didn't have an opponent. It won't be that easy for the next round!;)

CheckeredZebra responds:

Heehee, forgot to respond to a couple of these reviews.
Thank you, I do appreciate the time you spent on this review, especially considering you had to go through 30 or so other songs as well.
I agree on the volume of the strings and flute; they were underplayed now that you mention it, and could have added a lot more. Kind of saddens me because that's something I actually knew how to do at the time.

The percussion was continually done throughout the song, because it was a theme I had introduced earlier that I didn't want to just drop off the face of the planet. Would've been a bit odd, ey? =P However, I once again agree. Wonder if I could've made the percussion sounds more sharp while still giving off that deep rumble I was going for. Ohwell, learning experience.

[This is where it ends]

I read the forum post you made about it, and I kinda want to give you a hug man :( I'm sorry to hear it didn't work out... it happens. Being asked to defeat Waterflame can be a bit of a daunting task for anyone so to speak, and the combination of that and writer's block really sucks.

I'll spare you the usual category scores since they don't really apply that well to loops and wips. For what it's worth: the organ sound and bass synth are a bit cheesy perhaps. The kick and hats are really nice sounding, but the snare could use a bit of variety in the timbre, not just in volume. Composition-wise, I'm not really hearing that much potential.. I wouldn't know how to continue it, and apparently you don't either. So I guess this is where it ends. :]

Overall impression: 3-ish

FairSquare responds:

It happens indeed.. :(
Thanks for understanding :)

And also thanks for the tips and reviewing!

[Clicky]

This is short but oh so sweet, I love it. The clicks are a really cool defining element for the song and really opens a world of possibilities for cool variations and things to do with clicky, detailed high frequency percussion. You do a lot of it, and even from the start you pan it out from hard left to hard right for a nice immersive stereo image. It's a nice breath of fresh air too, replacing the role of the drum kit that dominates the rhythm section in the vast majority of western music.

The electric and acoustic piano parts that kinda sneak into the song from silence are very subtle and add a certain sense of soundtrack-esque sophistication. The way the piano part come in short bursts that kinda glue the track together almost remind me of - bizarrely enough - electro and dubstep tracks (see the last half of my review of MainStreamBeats' submission for reference). Though of course it's magnitude more classy with some tasteful piano! The muffled, reverberated sound of the piano gives it a nice place in the mix and also contributes to the vibe. The bass is as simple as can be, but it does its job and it does it well. The pads that continue throughout the piece add some simple, pretty groundwork.

The ending is just a reverberation that fades out, which is usually unfortunate, but considering the length and structure of the track it was probably the best choice. On that note - there are so many things you could be doing to continue and expand on this piece!! Mixolydian is a really cool mode and I'm excited to hear someone utilize it, but man would it be cool if you eventually brought forth a strong melody that really showed it off, then expanded on it with more intense parts and so on. This is like a brilliant introduction for a 9 minute song (not that anyone would expect that from 2 weeks). It stands strong enough on its own, but leaves a lot to be desired.

9 points for sounds and instrumentation.
7 points for composition and melody/harmony.
8 points for theme/originality/other things that might impress.

Overall impression: 7.5

TheBenjerman responds:

Thanks!

[Isis]

The most appealing aspect of this song is definitely the cool rhythmic theme that is established right from the start - it's very simple, but the delay is just enough to make it interesting. For some reason it's also a very suggestive rhythm - this might be the only song in the round that consistently compels me to rock back and forth in my chair to the bell and its octave-jumping business. The track slowly and subtly builds up around this theme, and together the ensemble of instruments feel like somewhat of a totem pole dance with the rhythm as the pole and the other instruments dancing around it (or I might just be high on shrooms).

The percussion and strings sound gorgeous and are completely transparent in the mix, so all the details - the envelope and texture of the pizzicato strings, the squeaky wooden character of the sustained strings and the clacking of the percussion - can be heard and basked in. The brass hits and plucky strings are nice additions that add a bit of content to the tune too.

So the downfall of your submission is that you haven't used these great sounds and ideas to build a sufficiently fleshed out and impressive tune (not to trump your opponent anyway). It just keeps going in the same pace forever like a clockwork, and this is especially apparent since the intro and outro are just fades. The only very noticeable changes from the main theme are during the key changes, and even they sound forced and awkward when you're not doing anything else than transposing all the melodies.

9 points for sounds and instrumentation.
6 points for composition and melody/harmony.
6 points for theme/originality/other things that might impress.

Overall impression: 7.0

BenTibbetts responds:

Thank you for the review! You may want to lay off the shrooms, though.

[Hymn To The Fallen]

The sombre hymn begins with a subtle, haunting choir that humms the main theme and slowly gets accompanied by low-key variations from the rest of the orchestra. How very fitting for a respectful acknowledgement of fallen heroes. The high, thin percussion and windchimes might stand out a bit too much but at least the sounds are pretty and lacquered in just enough reverb to sit well in the mix anyhoo. The higher choir is a nice subtle touch, but since it's a clear open vowel at a much lower volume than the humming choir, I can't help but imagining some female singers standing really far away from the rest of the group! It's a realism issue, but obviously a really tiny one.

The violin is such a class move, man. First off, I love how it begins by echoing the clarinet part earlier in the piece. And the portamento and wild intervals are so cool! The brass provides good support for the violin, but after the crescendo from 0:39 I was expecting a fuller sound. The brass is also a bit blaring, like it's being played at a really high velocity but kept down in volume. So the brass generally doesn't have much dynamic variation. When the piano and timpani is introduced, there is a very brief climax at 0:53 that doesn't sound out of place at all, which I actually find to be quite a feat. Makes for a very exciting ride when listening intently, and grabs the attention of whoever might just be having it in the background!

Loving the chromaticism here and there, it's subtle but still makes it clear that you're quite skilled as a composer. Some parts of note are the clarinet at 0:30 (and the violin that echoes it), the transition between chords at 1:03, and how the chords, er, wiggle up and down by one semitone at 1:18. Each time I listen I hear some new subtle and clever little trick in the arrangement that makes this a joy to listen to analytically.

When it comes to talking about the main theme.. hmm. On one hand, several times it is so incredibly similar to one of the most famous themes from Harry Potter (especially the rhythm but also the tonality) that it's actually very tempting to shout "blatant freaking ripoff!". On the other hand, there are so many brilliant variations and creative ways of using the same motif that still keep it recognizable as the main theme, that I'm going to consider any resemblance to other works purely coincindental, so to speak. The fact that the main motif is so prominent lets me hang onto it as a solid reference point, and also gets me really excited about the aforementioned variations of that motif.

When the piece rounds off, I've been treated to a lot of cool stuff both instrumentation-wise and composition wise, so I don't feel cheated at all, unlike the case for most songs of this length. The instrumentation is very low-key and almost sleepy for most of the song, so the piece is perhaps missing a really rich, satisfying climax. But that might not even be fit for the theme you've provided with the song title.

9 points for sounds and instrumentation.
9 points for composition and melody/harmony.
8 points for theme/originality/other things that might impress.

Overall impression: 8.5

Rampant responds:

Thanks for those kind words and in-depth analysis, SBB -- er, Buoy! :D

[Chemicals [NGADM]]

Well... first off, a round of applause for what is without a doubt the most elegantly crafted, ambitious and stunningly diverse show of skill in this round.

The amount of genres and styles touched here is really staggering. I'm hearing jazz guitar runs, progressive metal riffs with time signatures that change like it's nobody's business, early progressive rock influences, modern prog rock influences, maybe even a few video game influences, and so on. The instruments, too, sound absolutely fantastic: the the guitars have character and are played amazingly, the drums are clear and detailed yet have plenty of punch. The vocals and vocal harmonies are completely transparent and clear. The mix is open and airy when needed, and rich and thick otherwise, but never overcrowded.

I'm going to go through the track and note a few moments that were particularly nice, because you should be credited for each one of them: (0:00) The haunting modern progrock intro reminds me of Porcupine Tree. (0:12) A jazzy polyphonic guitar solo that gradually morphs into a more traditional metal one. (0:30) Great interplay between the smooth synthesizers and harmonized guitars. (1:03) Polyrhythms that are a hell to try and analyze but a joy to listen to. (1:31) Dat blues influence (1:35) I love the jumpy slightly detuned guitars in this part. And you always have these tiny transitional guitar parts in all the little pauses. (2:32) Something almost sublime about this guitar solo. And great drumming patterns in this and the part that follows. (3:07) Very spacy chords are being implied by these arpeggios, which is fitting in a way. And the chord-playing clean guitar provides great support for it. (3:30) You just threw that amazing transition out there like it was nothing. Dude what (3:35) Almost no point in pointing out this part at this point because you know what I'll say. I love the dramatic Dream Theater-esque string section. (4:23) Same comments about this here as I said about 2:32, but more. (5:05) From here until the end, the vocal harmonies, distorted guitar rhythms and the entire mix just gets more and more over the top, with a climax around the last vowel of universe (it's also very appropriate that that particular vowel should remind me of 80s-90s space TV somehow). After that the tune promptly ends with some guitar pattern and string sequence fit for fading out.

My only main gripe would be that the long, drawn out singing occasionally makes the vocals sound a lot angstier than the lyrics would imply. Like in your audition entry, the subject of the lyrics and your approach to it is really refreshing, so I found the style you chose here a bit disappointing after the more, er, leisurely delivery, in Don't We All?. Apart from that, I could be listing a few things here and there that I thought could be improved upon, or that I would have enjoyed to hear in this song, but it would be missing the point, since the quality, ambition and skill in this song break the scale I was originally intending to use. This song gets clean 10's in all the categories I made up, as no other score would do the song justice. The passion shines through every note and every second of the song. Great work and congratulations.

10 points for sounds and instrumentation.
10 points for composition and melody/harmony.
10 points for theme/originality/other things that might impress.

Overall impression: 10.0

Kor-Rune responds:

Thank you Buoy for your super detail review! LOL DUDE, PT'S ALBUM THE INCIDENT INSPIRED THAT INTRO, you're right on the money there. I saw them live and they were seriously divine. <3

I'm so happy my guitar solos are enjoyed. I don't particularly like the (4:23) guitar solo, and I wanted to play something a little better, but it's too late to change anything other than the mix I think. You can hear a compensation arpeggio at the end and there's not any of those well thought out licks or anything.

I'm glad my transitions hold up, I felt afraid they might be abrupt!

Yes, the lyrics and vocal melodies were the hardest thing to write here. I still feel like the lyrics aren't connected well and the vocal melodies are a bit empty. After the "Fear is a chemical" line has a guitar solo immediately compensating for empty space where I wanted some more vocals. but deadlines were a comin' so had to post. it ended up just becoming the finished product(minus the horrible mix in lots of places).

OH MY GOSH BUOY ILY thank you for the tens it makes me happy. C: Thanks again Buoy!

[timeslip]

It's good to hear something with character, charm and a good dose of real instruments. The electric guitar part is played pretty well, with a unique and actually quite fantastic chord progression that I'm sure brings forth different associations for different people - I, for whatever reason, kinda started thinking about a forest with the second chord. I also love the thing you do rhythmically with the fingerpicking in the intro - I don't know the musical term but it's similar to what Philips Glass does in the opening of (and throughout) Glassworks.

The saxophone is a nice addition that sounds just a bit awkward when it is introduced - it's a bit too dry and present in the mix after the chorus-infused guitar intro, and the melody it plays is very bluesy compared to what came before. After a while (when the chorus begins to be more specific), I can gradually get used to the new, jazzier style the song has adopted, and at that point the instrument sound perfectly sensible together. The playing of it great and brilliantly jazzy, and follows the chords nicely. It makes for a nice and cozy atmosphere from 1:10 that I would really love being expanded upon in a longer and more conventionally structured song. The drums aren't too great - very dry and very obviously programmed or quantized and without much variation in the samples. I do like the laidback beat and the subtle use of brushed snare though.

I'm gonna have to cut the review of this song a bit short since there really isn't that much in it - it ends soon after it begins and doesn't explore that many ideas. The ones it does explore are of course great.

8 points for sounds and instrumentation.
8 points for composition and melody/harmony.
9 points for theme/originality/other things that might impress.

Overall impression: 8.5

acmeDyne responds:

Thank you for taking the time to review and judge the submissions.

Once I finish a couple other tunes I think I'll redo the drums and try mixing the whole thing better. Thanks for your comments-- it's good to get thoughtful feedback from people with experience and good ears.