So I just went through the first listen, and, well, some songs are surely the growers and everything can change in the next few days, but for now...
One person has nothing to worry about at all, fantastic song, grabbed me from the first listen and he's almost certainly in, straight to the main competition too. I enjoyed that song a lot and I can see it growing on me even more on the subsequent listens. I don't think this will change, it seems just the type of song I love, with all the right vocals and instruments.
Overall, it's a fantastic round so far. I like all the songs, and most of them I like a lot, and even the ones that didn't much clicked with me on the first listen are promising. I think, besides the obvious stand-out - and don't forget these are my first impressions only - there are four songs I loved that can turn to a free pass to the main competition too. I think it's safe to say you guys blew it out of the park.
I think there were no real duds this round, I liked every song more or less. Very strong entries from all of you guys, and let's see what grows on me and what doesn't. I'll fire up the tidbits Saturday evening when the deadline ends, and I'm hoping to listen a few more times to your songs until then. Just remember, there are ten people hoping to get four free spots. I've got to eliminate some of you. Be prepared for that.
However, if you still haven't signed up and want to try your luck in this roulette, it's still not too late. I'll accept the sign-ups and the songs for the first preliminary round till Saturday evening (~45 hours from now on).