Round 2 first impressions
[Stadler – Whitesnake] 1. This is a very pleasant surprise - unexpectedly delicate, warm and emotive.
[Glasser – Legacy Pilots] 2. Modern music with very classic stylings and some cool vibes - I like it but I don't know if I love it.
[TAC – Lumsk] 3. Pretty different to anything else you’ve ever sent me but still hitting a lot of the right notes - quite thoughtful, grand and harmonically rich.
[luke – King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard] 4. Jazzier than I was expecting, which is a cool twist, although in other regards this is pretty much what I was expecting.
[Litho – Phil Keaggy] 5. Might be slightly noodley and narrow to be the sort of thing I’d want to listen to regularly, but it’s full of great playing and lovely music.
[Crow – Gang of Youths] 6. Nice upbeat indie that seems to avoid getting too sappy with interesting instrumentation and warm vocals.
[faizoff – Nine Inch Nails] 7. A little different to what I might have expected; a cool selection of songs that are moodier than most this round but with a nice groove to them.
[HOF – The Pearlfishers] 8. There’s a nice mix of organic sounds and synthesisers, with some great moments, although my enjoyment at each point depended quite a lot on the strength of the vocals.
[seneca – The Killers] 9. This is rather different to what I was expecting based on your description and what I know of the artist - I suspect these warm mellow vibes are more my thing.
[lonestar – Band-Maid] 10. Some nice hooks here, though I feel a lot more could have been done with the arrangements.
[Vmadera – The Cyberiam] 11. This is some nice elegant prog, if a little more traditional that I might have expected and possibly lacking a clear focal point.
[jingle – Rik Emmett] 12. Not sure I was expecting anything quite this cheesy, but you know what, it’s not unpleasant.
[Sacul – Sohn] 13. Trippy, experimental and gorgeously soulful - what’s not to love?
[Evermind – The Wishing Tree] 14. Very pretty and peaceful - not much stood out, but I’m not sure it needs to.
[soupy – Lana Del Rey] 15. I enjoyed these songs but they didn’t all jump out and grab me - as pop goes it feels quite subtle so I’m interested to see what happens with further listens.
[wolfking – Elegy] 16. Always found this singer quite bland, but the music here seems pretty engaging and more tasteful than other stuff I’ve heard him in.
[Buddy – death's dynamic shroud] 17. Not convinced by all the vocals, but definitely feeling the music, the downtempo vibe and the creative use of different sounds and styles.
[Luoto – Rioghan] 18. Taking advantage of the theme’s caveat to send something surprisingly punchy and dramatic, although it was some of the lighter moments that I found most compelling.
[nick_z – Meer] 19. This ranges from really rather lovely to quite dramatic, all of it very engaging and elegantly produced.
[romdrums – Monobody] 20. Reminds me of a couple of other bands I like, if maybe with a little less of the features that most attract me to each of those.
[Puppies – Amesoeurs] 21. The music is rich and gorgeous at times, though I think - and I rarely feel this way - that I might have liked some of it more without the vocals.
[Elite – Chano Dominguez] 22. Not a style I listen to much, but this is full of nice vibes and classy playing.
[Reaper – Jakub Zytecki] 23. The broad style isn’t especially unique, but it’s done really well - great sound and lovely production with a mix of influences thrown in.
[King – The Avett Brothers] 24. This may not have blown me away, but it was a very pleasant and pretty uplifting listen - simple but effective.