1st Place: Bolsters: The Ghost in YouBT - The Ghost In You (Intro)First Impressions:Hey, you included it separately in the track listing so I’m counting it. I am listening to the single track version of this so I actually have no clue where this ends or where the next song begins but this sure is a decent intro. And it’s over, I think. Bye.
Final Thoughts:Yeah, I’m not going to rate this or include it in the overall runtime of this EP because I’m pretty sure the entirety of this is present in the full song on the EP, so whatever.
Passion Pit – Take a WalkFirst Impressions:Stompy, cheery intro to this one but that gives it a rock edge I like so, yeah, definitely on board with that. I didn’t realize the chorus had started until it was half over, whoops. I think the lyrics are actually a lot darker than the tone of the song would let on but I’m also not entirely sure as I don’t have them in front of me. Maybe a bit lacking in depth beyond that as it does feel a bit one-note but it’s fun enough.
Final Thoughts:Yeah I think this is another one of those cases where the song is really bright and upbeat but the lyrics are kind of dark/depressing. Though I still haven’t figured out what “take a walk” means in this context. But yeah there’s definitely a lot of lyrics here that make this clearly not that happy of a song.
I am not really a huge fan of the vocal effects on the vocals here. They do fit in the style well, admittedly, I just don’t like how they sound. The backing vocals in the chorus don’t seem to have any effects though and I dig those whoa-aa-ooahs. Really the chorus as a whole is kind of catchy. Not huge on it, not huge on the synth tone especially, but it’s stompy and fun enough.
It does kind of lack depth though, there isn’t really a ton of diversity here – stompy bit for the chorus, quieter bit for the verses, buildup bit for the prechoruses and bridge. The verses are just okay, the prechorus is pretty satisfying as a buildup, and the chorus is nice but does get a little old by the end of this. So in the end… it’s fine enough, sure, but not something I expect myself to come back to that often.
6.5/10 (#25 out of 40)
Tegan and Sara – Faint of HeartFirst Impressions:You’re like the only one who did crossfades and single-tracked the EP like this but the way it’s done here works well enough especially with how the songs are all still separate entities on their own. Anyways this seems like another brighter, cheerier tune. I can’t say I’m a huge fan of the effects on the vocals here. I think it’s two of them too but it’s a little hard to tell because those effects make all the voices sound really similar.
I don’t really have much else to say about this one, it’s decent but a bit on the generic side and isn’t doing a ton for me on first listen.Final Thoughts:Another case where there are two songs from the same artist on an EP and I very decisively prefer one over the other. And not this one. It’s the other one. That’s the one I really like. This one is just… honestly, really generic. At the very least, it doesn’t really hook me in the same way.
The chorus is fine, I guess? Another instance of a synth tone I’m not particularly a fan of. The vocal melody is alright but not that catchy, at least for me. I have had several songs stuck in my head in this round, and this was just not one of them, at all. I guess, the harmonizations are at least pretty alright. That’s about all I really have to say here, it’s just not too memorable or too effective for me.
5.25/10 (#36 out of 40)
Tegan and Sara – Dying to KnowFirst Impressions:It’s weird to think this is apparently on the same album as the last track since it has just a completely different vibe to it, it feels like it falls way more in line with modern pop.
It also has a way, way better groove to it that I immediately like a lot more. Still some of the same vocal effects I don’t really care for but the voices are at least a bit more distinct here. I guess there’s not a ton more to say about this one but having that groove does make a world of difference in my opinion, though I also feel like this could’ve been a bit shorter than it is.
Final Thoughts:This one on the other hand… ooh man, I love the groove of this song. Like, that electronic percussion just completely dominates this song but it’s an interesting enough rhythm that has a good groove to it. And the vocals play off it really well, especially that damn chorus. It’s really damn fun and catchy as hell. Especially the first half, the title drop bit is good too but definitely not as strong.
It’s not limited to the chorus though, the verses also have some great vocal bits, they definitely exemplify the pissier side of this song that’s pretty evident in the lyrics. They provided great contrast to the booming chorus that sounds more desperate and very much “not over it”. There’s just, a degree of complex emotions here that makes this more interesting than just another cheery pop track. And the quieter moments give you a bit of room to breathe between the louder choruses.
So yeah. It’s not on the level of the CHVRCHES song previously sent but probably about on the same level as the HAIM track, which was still pretty great. Good stuff, will probably at least look into them further based on this track.
8.25/10 (#6 out of 40)
Glades – DriveFirst Impressions:I guess we’re definitely turning towards the more downbeat stuff now, as of this track. It certainly starts out a lot more dreary than the previous few tracks. I think the percussion is a bit of a detriment to this one, it just feels like an element that’s out of place.
There’s a lush atmosphere and ambience to all the instrumentation here besides that one element and if it had focused on that more ethereal sound throughout it’d be more effective, at least to me. I’d still easily say it’s my favorite of the tracks on your EP so far, which means I’m already kind of wishing you’d stuck to the more downbeat stuff, but hey, whatevs.
Final Thoughts:Mmm… in hindsight I don’t really agree that much with my writeup. This is a lot like the London Grammar song in that it would work better without the more rhythm elements that give a sharp edge to what seems to want to be a more ethereal, atmospheric track, and it never hits a loud enough moment for the buildup in the song to really feel warranted.
Like, yeah, the chorus is somewhat dense in nature, but it still has the guitar and percussion bits going on that I’m not huge on. It just doesn’t strike an emotional chord with me, I guess, and it also has the misfortune of being stuck between two tracks on the EP I do quite like, spoilers by the way. Anyways this ended like a minute ago now I wanna write about the next track so I’m gonna go do that.
6/10 (#30 out of 40)
Amy Shark – Drive You MadFirst Impressions:Musically it doesn’t feel like this would be too out of place on a Lorde album, though probably more her debut than Melodrama. Even the vocal melodies and phrasing are kind of similar, though her voice is a lot deeper and less breathy, which I’m totally fine with. It’s also got the kind of percussion I wish the previous track had, though also more of it.
It’s another nice tune that has a fair bit going on in its atmosphere and pretty solid vocals to carry it. Can’t say it’s standing out hugely but it’s more than pleasant enough to listen to.
Final Thoughts:I don’t know why you were worried about me disliking that siren synth, because it actually works really dang well? It’s an element that provides a serious degree of tension and contrasts nicely with the vocals. Like, I like how softly the vocals come in, with the siren effect getting more muffled when they come in alongside the piano – but then everything clicks back into place when the chorus starts and provides a satisfying payoff to the tension.
It’s just, a great chill tune. I really like her as a singer, at least on this track – she sells both quiet moments and big emotional climaxes, and the harmonies on the last chorus especially are breathtaking. It’s just… a really powerful track, I would be okay with this one going on longer than it does honestly.
Not really much else to say, I just have no real complaints with this one. It’s right up the alley of the kind of pop I like, it’s memorable, atmospheric, and emotional. That’s… really all I ask for.
Addendum: Okay… I am actually seriously wondering if this isn’t the absolute best track of the entire round now. I gotta do a relisten to Gunship real quick and that’s great to compare them, but this song literally has everything I want in a pop song. It’s on that top-tier level as stuff like Sia’s Chandelier in terms of pop for me. And that final chorus really pushes it over the edge. Whew. Yeah.
9/10 (#2 out of 40)
M83 – Another Wave From YouFirst Impressions:Hmm.
As an interlude track this is actually pretty nice, atmospheric and kind of massive by its peak, actually wish it was longer. But it’s already over so you know. That was nice.
Final Thoughts:Umm? I am really pissed that this is as short as it is? This is a fantastic ambient piece. The breadth of the music when it hits its peak is fantastic, so many tiny things going on but there’s just enough rhythm to keep it also having this driving feel to it. Like, the only bad thing about this track is that it isn’t three times longer so I could really let it wash over me but damned if this isn’t still great regardless.
8.5/10 (#5 out of 40)
Gunship – Tech NoirFirst Impressions:Didn’t you have this album cover as your icon for some time? I’m pretty sure you did. I dig the darker intro of this even with the spoken word stuff going on, it builds up the atmosphere quite nicely. A bit less a fan of the 80’s synth stuff when the song kicks in proper but it’s relatively downplayed and not too intrusive. The climax of this also has some really great atmosphere going on too & feels like a proper climax for what the song has been building to.
I dunno, I dug this more than I was expecting to, it feels like a very complete song with several moments that really clicked with me. Ending felt a touch abrupt though.
Final Thoughts:Congrats. The intro of this song is one of the best uses of spoken word stuff I’ve ever heard, probably. That synth bit feels goddamn cinematic and it’s pretty solidly atmospheric too, it feels just absolutely natural for there to be narration over it. And it’s low enough in the mix to kind of blend in without overwhelming the music.
Anyways then this kicks in with a chill groove that the song rides on for a bit. I’m fine with the verses, they’re nice. But hot damn. That chorus actually sounds utterly terrifying in the best possible way, and it’s memorable as heck too, I had it bouncing around in my head after just a single listen here. It’s nice to have the quieter bits in between those peaks of the song to give the listener a bit of room to breathe and it’s not like the verses don’t sound just as polished as the rest, they’re good.
Hell, I’m even forgiving of the 80’s synths because they absolutely fit the aesthetic. When I think of a “tech noir” film, I think of Blade Runner. Guess what. The synths sound like Blade Runner synths. It’s probably at least somewhat intentional here. Oh, and that bridge, just building up an insane amount of tension before letting it break free with that wailing bit into the last chorus. The vocal melody on that bit sounds really familiar but I can’t quite put a finger on it. I do think the song does kind of end abruptly though.
But yeah overall? Whew. Best song of the entire EP round, almost certainly. Not quite on the level of the best stuff in the roulette, but still, pretty damn close. Very few complaints, and it goes way beyond a lot of the other, more simpler songs on this EP in terms of composition too. Like I said, it feels very complete, aside from the very abrupt ending. Definitely can see why this would be your AOTY if the rest of the album is up to this bar of quality.
9/10 (#1 out of 40)
Amy Shark – AdoreFirst Impressions:Another track that fits nicely into the “laidback rock tune”. Though this one feels almost a bit too minimalistic at times, and I’m not a fan of the percussion here either. It feels too loud compared to the rest of the mix, and a bit too robotic against the lusher, more natural tones of the instrumentation and vocals. Yeah, that really does kind of overshadow the rest of the song in an unfortunate way.
The vocals here are, again, pretty solid though and easily the highlight of this one. Just wish the instrumental backing did more for me.
Final Thoughts:Mmm… this one just doesn’t quite work for me. I know from the other song on this EP that she can sell emotion really well, but in this track it sounds like she’s just kind of half-drunk all song. Maybe that’s the aesthetic it’s going for, it’s literally a line in the chorus, but there’s just a lumbering, seasick vibe to a lot of the vocal melodies I’m not a fan of.
And I really am not huge on that percussion either, it feels out of place compared to the rest of the instrumentation here. The guitar line is nice, there’s decent atmosphere, but you have this blatantly fake percussion just kind of ruining the atmosphere.
Another case where I just wish I liked this more than I do, it’s not bad, not one of the weakest tracks on the EP or even in the round but it definitely doesn’t do much for me, especially compared to the other song by her this round. Also, again, it’s stuck between two much better tracks. So that doesn’t help either.
5.75/10 (#33 out of 40)
BT – The Ghost in YouFirst Impressions:And back to this one that you chopped the intro off of before, I guess, cool. The guitar sound is definitely a nice change of pace on this one, it’s got a lot of clean, natural tone to it. Better than the previous track for sure. And the quiet roaring guitar distortions in the background provide atmosphere I really dig.
It makes the song feel pretty tense throughout, just waiting for the moment when it’s really going to explode. The vocal tone and melodies feel a little standard but they’re fine enough for what they are. And oh, there’s female vocals in there too eventually. Yeah, it definitely reaches a more full sound by the end of the track that makes the build more satisfying. Though it maybe stays at that peak a little too briefly, feels like there was more that could’ve been done there. Can’t say I’m a huge fan of that drum break either but it’s short enough so, ehh. I think it’s the next song now so I’m gonna switch to writing for that one, okay.
Final Thoughts:I do think you are kind of right when you thought I’d find this a bit too slow-paced. Or at the very least, it feels like it takes a bit too long to get to the real meat of the song. Not that I mind the long instrumental intro – there’s a lot of texture to it and it’s all pretty gorgeous stuff really. But the song just does not really get going until the vocals kick in.
I mean, even then it’s a pretty downbeat track, there’s like no percussion besides the drums near the end. But those vocal melodies are pretty solid, both the verses and chorus – though I think I honestly prefer the verses to the chorus, the emotion is sold a bit better there in the singer’s softer tones – whereas when he’s giving it his all on the chorus, it feels a bit lacking in comparison, a bit dry.
Also this is a total nitpick, but I hate the stuttering effect on the line of female vocals near the end. Every single time I think the CD is skipping, except that I’m not even listening to a CD, just mp3 files on my computer. I skipped over the bridge, woops. I like the bridge, it’s kind of a louder verse but that’s okay – and the last chorus I do think does actually sell the emotion much better than the previous choruses, but I’m not sure why he couldn’t have done that for every chorus. Ehh, whatever.
At the end of the day I do like this one but it doesn’t blow me away either, and having it be the only lengthy track and the track the EP was named after I guess I was expecting to be a bit more impressed by it? I still like it but it’s just that, not much beyond “like”.
7.5/10 (#15 out of 40)
M83 – OutroFirst Impressions:This is… hmm. More ambient stuff I guess but then it like, just cuts out for low rumbling noise. Okay and then it builds up to something. The start of this is just kind of weird then, huh. This is certainly a pretty satisfying climax for the EP as a whole, really both this and the shorter track before had some really good atmosphere so maybe I should actually care about this band at least a little.
Yeah, as a way to close the EP and tie everything together I think this does its job quite well and is a pretty solid track on its own too.Final Thoughts:As an ambient track and finale for the entire EP, I do like this, but… honestly? The shorter interlude track just hits upon this kind of atmosphere a bit better for me. But I do appreciate having more of it here, and this is still a pretty damn solid track on its own.
I think it does at least get pretty damn close though, especially the last minute and a half or so. You have the guitars, strings, synths, and drums all coming together for a satisfying emotional climax and a nice piano bit for some falling action. It’s just not quite the level of overwhelming and I think the big difference is the lack of driving tension that the other track has.
But I sort of feel like I’m nitpicking. Aside from that the entire first minute of this feels a bit disconnected from the rest, it’s still a pretty solid track and a nice way to close the EP. Obviously not the kind of thing that’d work so well on its own but I do include context in my scores for EP songs because I kind of have to. So yeah, solid stuff for sure.
8/10 (#8 out of 40)