Round 4 Results
Group ASacul: Obsidian Kingdom – “Last of the Light”
I wonder how all the pieces of this song work together as well as they do
First of all, your other submission was solid too, and probably would’ve snagged a decent score if not for the excellence of this one. It’s kind of the opposite of Cyril’s submission this round. Both can be brutal, but this one is far more nuanced, dynamic, unpredictable, and emotionally compelling. The middle section of the song is superb and unexpected, a muddled stew of genre that somehow comes together, builds together, and ultimately climaxes back at that brutal spot where it left off some 3.5 minutes earlier. How it does it, I’m not sure, but this is the group’s clear winner. 8.5
Stadler: John Lennon – “Watching the Wheels”
Nothing surprising here except that you managed to tie this to your theme
It would be an understatement to say I’m not a big fan of the Beatles. I respect their influence, but generally find their music a bit too tame and dated for my liking. Thankfully, you’ve picked out my favorite of the bunch, Lennon, and sent me what must be one of his better solo songs (I’m crazy for “Well Well Well” on Plastic Ono Band, but that’s another story). Like I alluded to in the first impression, this song is pretty much what I would expect from a Lennon solo song, though it actually ended up exceeding expectations. I won’t go into all the reasons, because 16 songs is quite the large batch, but here’s the crux of it: “they shake their heads / and they look at me as if I’ve lost my mind / I tell them, there’s no hurry / I’m just sitting here doing time.” Wonderful songwriting throughout and a lovely portrait of the artist, and of this artist in particular. 8
Lethean: Solefald – “Raudedauden”
Black metal riding a horse
Aggressive and punchy, but also with some lovely, melancholic clean interruptions sprinkled in. Again, I feel like this one contrasts well against Einkehr. It has a lot more going on, despite being only half the length, but it’s also consistently fun and engaging. The production is kind of polished by black metal standards, which I appreciate. Definitely going to check this album out. And guess what! You would’ve won the non-English group with this song, too! 8
Cyril: Der Weg einer Freiheit – Einkehr
Probably the most forgettable song of the group, which is a real shame considering that you chose the theme
I suppose this one could be riding a horse too, but more to the point, this one is the least memorable of the group. The drumming is bombastic as all get out, and I do like the at-the-breaking-point vocals, both of which contribute well to a feeling of catharsis. The biggest obstacle for me is that it doesn’t dial it back as frequently or as noticeably as I would like it to. It’s a bit one-note in that sense, and there’s only so much intensity I can take before I start zoning out a bit. Standard black metal. 5
Group BTomislav: Andrew Bird – “Fake Palindromes”
I like this song so far, but why can’t he enunciate properly? I’d love to know what he’s saying.
Again, you send the shortest song of the round and again it’s one of the best. I’ve had the melodies stuck in my head for a few days, even though I didn’t know what the lyrics were until later. Dude doesn’t really enunciate very well, does he? They are nice lyrics though: “Whiskey-plied voices cried fratricide!... She’s got blood in her eyes for you… Some lonely night we can get together / and I’m gonna tie your wrists with leather / and drill a tiny hole into your head” and the contrast between their darkness and the dreamy, indie folk music tickles my fancy real well. 8
FlyingBIZKIT: Stars of The Lid – “Dungtitled (In a Major)
Takes me back to my time in the amniotic sac.
You’re breaking through the 7-point ceiling with this one, by far the most minimalistic submission so far. It’s funny, because a few years ago I went through a phase of listening quite a bit to A Winged Victory for the Sullen, which I guess is an adjacent project to this one, but I never heard of Stars. The similarities are plenty, and if you haven’t heard Winged Victory, I would definitely recommend it. They’re both really good at developing full, swelling textures that envelop me in a restful place. If warm liquid could sing, this is what it would sound like. 8
Jingle.boy: Frankie Goes To Hollywood – Two Tribes
Decent pop music. Takes me back to a time I wasn’t alive.
This one makes me want to dance real bad. I read on Wikipedia that it was inspired by Russian classical music, which I guess I didn’t hear at first but do now, and it’s a really interesting combination along with the funkier elements of the song. I also like the song’s lyrical message and that last line “Are we living in a land / where sex and horror are the new Gods?” Not my favorite song of the group, but a nice, different offering. 6.5
TAC: Us3 – “Cantaloop”
Feels like you’re outside of your wheelhouse, and mine too!
This must be rap’s answer to elevator music—nothing to get really upset about, but generally insipid and uninteresting. Like everything else in the song, the brass doesn’t hurt, but again it’s not my cup of tea. The rap itself is easy on the ears, I’ll give you that, but that’s more a weakness than a strength in this instance. To give you some context, my favorite rap music (of which there is almost none) is generally harsher on the ears than Cantaloop’s “Groovy grovy jazzy funky pounce bounce dance.” Think Nas’s Illmatic “I rap for listeners, blunt heads, fly ladies and prisoners / Hennessey holders and old school niggas”
https://open.spotify.com/track/2W58HMaCbjcUfZnZaeHtcC?si=nJWKtqc7TOm0CApaFfkPxgAnyway, not my thing. Sorry dude, but BIZKIT got you good. 4.5
Group CAriich: Alkinoos Ioannidis – “She’s Not Here Anymore”
I generally love music of this style; the problem is that the lyrics are usually a big part of the appeal.
You made things somewhat difficult for me when you selected the theme you did, but I guess it ultimately worked out for you because when I think about all the songs and their respective origins, yours is the one that most strongly resembles my memory. This one sounds to me very much like the Cyprus I remember visiting a few years ago. It has a nice, kind of sad warmth to it that seeps past the language barrier. 6
Kattelox: Luca Turilli’s Rhapsody – “Luna”
Operatic and a bit over the top, but at least my girlfriend likes it.
This song is decent to my ears. Nothing more, nothing less. I’m pretty much indifferent to the vocals. He’s got impressive pipes, sure, and he hits that climax well, but otherwise the song feels more like a show tune than a me tune, and I’m a bit of an egoist when it comes to music: I want something that speaks to me on a personal level. Maybe that’s why this entire group struggled this round, seeing as how I don’t speak Italian, Greek, Icelandic, or French. 5.5
Nekov: Solstafir – Æra
This song has all the nuance of a sledgehammer
I’ve only heard one other song by Solstafir, Fjara, but it was quite different from this one, and I feel this would have benefited from the greater nuance and atmosphere of that one (as well as dreamy clean vocals. I’m listening to that song again now, just to jog my memory, and man that one is excellent!) This one feels particularly industrial, with everything built around that chugging, that chugging that I can imagine doing well in a commercial for Icelandic auto manufacturing. When the keys kick in during the second verse it adds another layer which is kind of interesting, but on the whole, this song never really surprised me after the first minute and a half, apart from the rawer scream just before the 4-minute mark. Which is more representative of Solstafir’s work, Fjara or Æra? 5.5
Romdrums: Cyrille Aimee – “Nuit Blanche”
Like a Parisian café where all the seats face outwards and the haughty natives scowl at the passing tourists
She’s got a pleasant voice, but there’s not much else about this song that draws my attention, and I have to admit I’ve generally been a bit relieved every time it ends. I know that sounds pretty harsh, and I’m not sure I can give you a satisfying reason why the song doesn’t do it for me. The jazz singing style showcases her voice well, it’s just not a style that I enjoy in this instance. The song feels, I don’t know, antiseptic? 4.5
Group DEvermind: Leonard Cohen – “Steer Your Way” & “String Reprise/Treaty”
Serious deep voice that doesn’t sing so much as preach to the listener
Apart from one really obvious song, I’m not very familiar with Leonard Cohen, especially his work later in life. And damn, this one is fantastic. I love the simplicity of the music, which frames and punctuates the lyrics really well without ever distracting too much. Because let’s be real, this one is all about the lyrics, and it’s stronger for that. I’m tickled pink by almost every line in here: “Steer your heart past the Truth that you believed in yesterday / such as Fundamental Goodness and the Wisdom of the Way… Steer your way through the pain that is far more real than you… He died to make men holy / Let us die to make things cheap”
String Reprise/Treaty is nice too, and you definitely nailed the theme. 8.5
Puppies: Type O Negative – “Hail and Farewell to Britain”
Another one who chose the theme, only to send the least memorable song.
In hindsight, my first impression was pretty harsh. This song is actually really solid. The doomy mood is well developed and consistent, the riffs complement that mood really well, and his vocals do the job surprisingly well. I say surprisingly because I’m honestly not sure how much I like his singing style (though to be fair, the final section changes it up nicely). However, they do match the song. Lastly, I think the song does a nice job of keeping things interesting for the entire 9 minutes, which is more than I can say for the Dresden Dolls. 7
LordCost: The Dillinger Escape Plan – “Dissociation”
Not at all what I was expecting, based on previous experiences with this band
I can’t remember which songs I heard previously, but this is a completely different animal. Is this how the whole album sounds? I like it. It’s got an eerie, vast, empty feeling to it, and he’s actually singing now? It’s surprisingly emotional, and really fitting for the theme, especially this line: “Don’t confuse being set free / with being discarded and lonely.” Consider my interests piqued. 7
Ruba: The Dresden Dolls – “Sing”
The repetitive demand sounds nice at first, but it quickly wears me out.
This one starts out pleasant enough, albeit similar to a generic brand of coffeehouse indie folk music. Unfortunately it loses me the longer it goes on, as it leaves the café and turns into some kind of marching anthem(?) The song’s repetitiousness, an exhausting blunt force instrument, is just too much for me to enjoy, especially combined with the singer’s husky, demanding voice. It’s a voice that reminds me of one of my favorite artists, Emilie Autumn, when she’s near her breaking point, but she doesn’t typically camp out at that point, and I wish this song hadn’t either. 4
Standings
(Italicized contestants are those who still have the option to send two songs in one of the following three rounds, and only have the better song scored)
Group ASacul 8.5
Stadler 8
Lethean 8
Cyril 5
Group BTomislav 8
FlyingBIZKIT 8
jingle.boy 6.5
TAC 4.5
Group CAriich 6
Kattelox 5.5
Nekov 5.5
Romdrums 4.5
Group DEvermind 8.5
Puppies 7
LordCost 7
Ruba 4
It would be great if we could have
Round 5 Themes PM'd to me within the next 24 hours, so that we can get the submissions rolling in. I already have one theme, but I'd rather post them all at once. As a reminder, it's
jingle.boy's,
kattelox's, and
Ruba's turn to pick the themes. Aim high and play dirty!
Poll
Topic: Seneca v3 results (Read 78269 times)
